


For the heart I once had

by Bobo_is_tha_Bomb



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:00:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 31,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23880439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bobo_is_tha_Bomb/pseuds/Bobo_is_tha_Bomb
Summary: The discovery of a young woman in a basement leads to a dive in Trowa's past, the Barton Foundation, and a promise he made at the age of thirteen. Who is this woman and how is she related to Quatre? The criminal that kept the woman locked up is arrested, but she is far from safe. Trowa does his best to honor his promise, but will he be able to protect her when a assassin is send after her? TrowaxOC
Relationships: Trowa Barton/OC
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is one of my oldest stories, and I’m not really sure about posting it on here. It’s so different from my other works, but I want my profile on here to contain my most complete list of GW stories. I guess I have no choice but to post it, LOL. 
> 
> It is going to be a bit different from the original version. I’m changing details in order to have the plot make some sense. So, please keep in mind that I wrote this when I was seventeen years old and that I’m trying to make this into the best version I can offer you. :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing or it’s characters

**For the heart I once had  
Chapter 1**

The mission was complicated, the building was well guarded, but that couldn’t have stopped them. Guns with silencers took care of the guards and they quietly entered the building. Every room was checked, the people in the rooms arrested. Two agents descended to the basement level to check the rooms there. 

The basement was pitch dark. There was a door that led towards another room, but it was locked. While one of the preventers went back to search for the light switch, the other silently broke into the room. He shone around with his flashlight. The room seemed empty, but the bundle of light caught something in the corner. He aimed his flashlight at it again and discovered it to be a body. He quickly walked over and noticed that it was a young woman. He knelt down next to her and checked for a pulse. There was one and despite her unconscious state, it beat strongly against his fingers. He moved some dirty locks of hair out of her face. It was clear she had been in this basement for quite some time. Her body was thin, a sign that she had not been fed well. 

The light went on and the Preventer turned off his flashlight. He looked at the woman again and froze. Green eyes widened in shock. “What the…”

He pulled her upper body towards him and tapped her cheek. “Wake up.”

The young woman’s eyelids fluttered. 

“Wake up,” he said again.

She slowly opened her eyes. And his suspicions were confirmed. 

“Nanashi…” A weak whisper. “You found me…”

The use of his old nickname made him tense, made his stomach twist. He heard footsteps coming down the stairs. His partner was coming.

He looked at the woman’s face. She was slipping into unconsciousness again. “Don’t…” he said softly. “Stay with me. We’re going to help you.”

“Don’t… leave me again,” she whispered, before slipping away, her eyes drifting shut. 

“Trowa, what…” His partner stopped talking. “Oh shit.”

Duo ran back up the stairs, calling out that he needed medical support. Trowa carefully lifted the woman into his arms and followed his partner up the stairs. In the hallway, a team of paramedics took the woman out of his arms. She would be brought to the hospital for examination. Heero pushed a handcuffed man through the hallway and Trowa froze as he recognized him. The man’s eyes narrowed and he spat on the ground.

“I’m not done with you!” he threatened. 

“Really?” Heero smirked.

“And **you** …” the man stopped walking and stood in front of Trowa, glaring venomously. “Just wait. You won’t have her. No man will have her. You hear me?”

Trowa rather felt then saw the quizzical looks that were sent his way. But he only had eyes for the man in front of him. He leaned in, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “Or what?”

Heero pulled the man back when he shot forward to attack the agent in front of him. “You bastard! She’s mine!”

“She was never yours,” Trowa said calmly. “Get him out of here.”

Heero grabbed the man’s arm and pulled him along with him. Duo stepped up next to Trowa. “What was that about?”

Trowa shrugged. “Old issues.”

“Was it about the girl?” Duo followed him when he went outside.

He saw the paramedics taking care of the woman and walked towards the ambulance. “Which hospital will she be taken to?” he asked.

One of the paramedics looked up. “The one in Cairo, Sir. Were there found any documents about her in the building that might give us her identity?” 

Trowa shook his head. “No. But I know her name.”

“That is good. We can contact her family then.”

“Her family doesn’t know about her existence,” Trowa said. 

The paramedic looked at him, puzzled. “Excuse me?”

“Does it matter? I’ll take care of her.”

“Very well then. What is her name?” The paramedic grabbed a block note.

Trowa sighed, being very aware of Duo standing next to him, of Heero approaching them, and of the fact that he was going to reveal something that he had kept secret for many years. 

“Her name is Aalia Winner.”

-x-x-x-

_It had been a promise that he couldn’t have made. But still he had done it. He still remembered the eyes of her mother. They had shone so brightly, even though she was about to pass away._

_“Nanashi,” she had whispered. “Nanashi… promise me you’ll take care of Aalia.”_

_He had taken her hand. “I promise,” he had said._

_He had promised to take care of a girl whose eyes shone with the innocence he had lost long ago. At the age of thirteen he had promised her mother. But he had failed to protect Aalia._

-x-x-x-

“So… she is Quatre’s sister?” Duo asked.

“His twin sister.” 

“And he never knew about her?” 

“I already told you that, twice,” Trowa said, trying not to sound impatient with Duo’s questioning. 

He was tired and edgy, and it didn’t help that Duo was so damn curious. 

“Alright, alright!” Duo grinned and rubbed at his nose. “Still, I can’t figure out why you kept his twin sister a secret.”

“I thought she was dead.” Trowa stood up and walked towards the window, gazing outside but not really seeing anything. “There even was a grave.”

“Really?” Duo came to stand next to him. “Why would they want you to believe she was dead?”

“To keep me away from her. Isn’t that obvious? Razouli wanted her for himself and he couldn’t bear the thought of me coming to look for her.” Trowa crossed is arms in front of his chest and sighed. 

Mehmet Razouli was the man who had threatened Trowa during his arrest. He hadn’t said anything since, chosen to invoke his right to remain silent. Not that it was going to help him in any way, as Preventer had accumulated more than enough evidence against him, his crimes, and his dirty businesses. But Trowa had seen the hate in the man’s eyes. Razouli was a powerful man. Even in prison he could still be a danger to Aalia. 

“Aalia has to leave the country.”

“Are you planning to take her with you?” Heero askes as he entered the room.

“I have to. She is not safe here,” Trowa said. 

“Mister Barton?” A nurse entered the room. “Miss Winner has woken up. She is asking for you.”

Trowa followed her to Aalia’s room. She was sitting on the bed, still looking pale and frail, but a small smile spread on her face. The nurses had washed her hair and now he could see how much she looked like her mother. Same face, same eyes, same long, blonde hair. As if the woman he had seen on pictures in the Winner mansion had come to life. 

“So…” she said softly. “It’s Trowa now?”

He nodded. He noticed she was a bit hesitant to speak and he wondered why.

“Why… didn’t you come to look for me… sooner?” she asked. Then she smiled again. “I’m sorry. I have not spoken to anyone in English for a long time.”

“It’s okay,” he said while sitting down in the chair next to her bed. “They told me you had died.”

“Really? But…”

“There was a grave,” he said softly. “I’m sorry. I should have known better.”

“Trowa…” she tested the name, causing him to smile slightly. “You had to fight a war… There was no time for me. We both knew it. And you have found me now.”

He was damn glad he had found her. What would have happened if they hadn’t arrested Razouli? Finding her would make things complicated for him. He would have a lot to explain to his friends, and especially to Quatre. But at least she was safe.

“I want to thank you for saving me,” she said softly.

“There is no need to do that,” he muttered. “When you are released from the hospital you’re coming with me to Europe.”

“You cannot do that!” she protested. “I will be fine.”

“I called Quatre.”

“You WHAT?!?” Her eyes widened in shock, fear. “Nanashi…”

“Trowa,” he reminded her. “What is so wrong about calling your brother? He wants to meet you. Quatre is a nice guy and I’m sure he will like you.”

“No. No. He won’t! Look at me!” She gestured to herself, her eyes shadowed by terrible memories. “I am too skinny and… I’m not pretty.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Who told you that?”

She averted her face, refusing to meet his eyes. “Does it matter? The fact is that I am not pretty.”

“Razouli… He told you that.”

“Yes, he did. Plenty of times.” 

“Well…” Trowa deadpanned. “He lied.” 

“You’re just saying that because you are my friend.” She smiled wryly.

He took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. He didn’t want her to feel insecure about herself. “I am sure Quatre will like you.”

She entwined her fingers with his and held on tightly as she met his gaze again. Slowly, the dark emotions left her face and she smiled. She playfully tugged on the bangs that covered one side of his face with her free hand. 

“You need a haircut,” she said.

His lips twitched. He knew better than to answer that. From the moment they had met she had told him he needed a haircut. And she would always tug on his bangs.

“Will you come to Europe with me?” he asked.

“I would love to.” 

-x-x-x-

“I bet these two were involved.” Duo grinned at Heero and wiggled his eyebrows suggetively.

“So what if they were? It doesn’t mean they are now.” Heero continued to type away on his laptop, not tearing his gaze away from the screen.

“Aw, come on,” Duo said. “That Razouli guy nearly went nuts when he saw Trowa.”

“He was already nuts. Otherwise he wouldn’t have kept a girl locked up in a basement for years,” Heero countered dryly.

Duo sighed. “Yeah… I guess you’re right about that.”

“Did you know she was on L3 when Trowa was trained there?” Heero asked.

“What? No…” The surprise was clear in Duo’s eyes.

Heero ceased his typing and looked up, already regretting having spilled that bit of information. But sooner or later everyone would know.

“Her adoptive mother fled there with her. She worked in one of the labs owned by the Barton Foundation.” 

“How do you know all this?” 

“Trowa told me some of it just now, but the rest I pieced together myself. I did my research during the Mariemaia uprising.” Heero smirked at his friend.

Duo pulled a face and plopped down in one of the chairs in the hospital’s waiting room. “What more do you know?” 

“The mother died after a terrorist attack. Guess who was behind it?” 

“Razouli.”

“Correct. That’s all I know so far.” Heero shut his laptop. “I have no idea how Razouli got his hands on the girl or how she ended up here on Earth. We got a hold of his hard drives, so I’m going to dig into those. See if there is any information on there.”

Duo pursed his lips in thought. “How did Quatre react when Trowa called him?”

“Shocked. But he wants to meet Aalia,” Heero said, while getting up from his seat. 

“Where are you going?” Duo asked.

“There are still a few things that have to be taken care of before we go back to Europe.”

“Right, do you need help?”

“I’ll be fine.” Heero left the room, laptop tucked under his arm.

Duo got up from his seat and walked towards Aalia’s room and peered around the doorpost. He grinned when he saw that Trowa and Aalia were holding hands, while deep in conversation. He almost cursed when his cell phone rang. He would have loved to see anything happen between those two! Trowa needed a girlfriend. He walked away from the room while picking up his phone.

“Quat.”

“Hi Duo.” Quatre’s voice sounded on the other end of the line. 

“How are you, my man?”

“I’m fine. I’ve arrived at the Space Port! Can you send me your location?” Quatre asked. 

“Sure thing! You’re early!” 

“I know,” Quatre chuckled. “But I want to meet my sister.”

“If you want, I can come and pick you up?”

“That would be nice! I haven’t seen you in ages.” 

“Alright. I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” Duo said. “See ya!”

He walked back to Aalia’s room and grinned. “Quatre is at the Space Port. I’m going to pick him up.”

Aalia looked away nervously, drawing her hand back from Trowa’s grasp to fidget with the sheets.

Trowa nodded at Duo. “Alright. I’ll see you later then.”

Duo waved and left.

“Is Quatre… angry with you for not telling him about me?” Aalia asked.

Trowa shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Her breath left her lungs in a rush. “I guess we will find out then.”

-x-x-x-

Heero walked into the interrogation room and calmly gazed at the man who was sitting at the table. He was handcuffed and when he looked up, he had a hateful glint in his eyes.

“I’m not going to tell you anything,” Razouli spat.

“There is no need to,” Heero said cooly. “I was able to break into your computer system and found quite a lot of interesting information there. I found out why you locked up Aalia Winner.”

Razouli smirked, but underneath his face turned deadly pale. “Really? Care to enlighten me?”

“She was promised to you by someone in the Barton foundation.”

Razouli glared at him. “I’ve never been in contact with anyone.” 

“So you say…” Heero dropped a thick folder onto the table and pulled out some transcripts. “It says so right here.” 

Razouli’s eyes only flitted briefly to the papers in front of him. “I’ve never seen that before.” 

“You are responsible for the death of Dunya Sarami, Aalia Winner’s adoptive mother.” Heero pulled out more papers. “The Barton foundation ordered you to end her life and as payment you got the girl. But Trowa tried to keep her from your grasp.” 

“The kid doesn’t have a fucking name!”

“He has now. You saw him as a danger. So you took the girl and locked her up and then made him believe she was dead.”

“He was just a kid. He had no business with the girl,” Razouli said spitefully.

“You’re going to be locked away for a very long time. Not only for your dirty businesses. Trowa will press charges against you for kidnapping.”

“WHAT?” Razouli jolted from his seat in rage. “That fucking bastard! If I get him he is a dead man!”

“We’ll see about that.” Heero got up and left the room. 

**\- End chapter 1 -**


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was a bit ambitious thinking I could post this one chapter a day. I’m rewriting and editing so much I definitely need more time. LOL.
> 
> On with the second chapter!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing or its characters.

**For the heart I once had  
Chapter 2**

The boy she had once known had grown up into a handsome man with a mysterious appearance. This was a man, not a boy. The boy was no longer there and she best remember that.… He was a man with a past, a man who had fought in the war, who had survived and build a life. And now he had a name. Trowa Barton. He was no longer Nanashi, the lost boy she had known on L3. But what could she expect after all those years of not seeing him?

-x-x-x-

Quatre entered the room and felt bereft of breath when he saw the young woman sitting on the bed. It was as if the pictures scattered around his L4 mansion had come to life. She was the vision of his mother, and it pained him to know he had never known about her existence. How had it been possible that someone had taken his sister and disappeared?

Aalia turned her head to look at him when she heard his footsteps and her eyes widened. “Quatre…”

She looked so much like his mother… The eyes, the hair, the mouth. She was her splitting image. 

She reached out when he came to a halt next to her bed and wrapped her arms around him in a warm hug. “Finally…” she whispered.

It occurred to him that while he might not have known of her existence, Aalia had known about him. He gently pulled away from her embrace and rested his hands on her shoulder to smile down at her. 

“It is nice to meet you,” he said.

She smiled, and her eyes sparkled up at him. “It is nice to meet you too.” 

“Mom always talked about you,” she said.

Quatre blinked, realizing she was not talking about her biological mother. She was referring to Dunya Sarami, the woman who had raised her.

“It was quite a shock to hear that I had another sister,” Quatre said, while sitting down in the chair by her bed. “And to know she had been kept in such dire circumstances for years.” 

Shadows played over her face. “The Barton foundation… it was their revenge.” 

“For what?” 

“My mother… she tried to stop Operation Meteor when she found out what the true plan was…” Aalia’s fingers curled into the sheets. “They ordered her death.” 

Quatre had read through Heero’s report, and the details had been sickening. The Barton Foundation had been very adamant about keeping their true objectives quiet. And when Dunya Sarami had found out, she had paid the price for it. 

“I’m… I’m glad I get to meet you. Dunya… She always told me that one day I would return to my true family.”

“Did she ever tell you why she took you?” 

Aalia shook her head. “No. But she loved me dearly, as if I was her own.” 

At least she’d known that. Quatre was relieved to learn that. 

“Trowa will take you with him to Europe once you get out of the hospital. He will keep you safe.” 

“Yes, he said so.” Her smile was a little timid. “Can’t I stay with you?” 

“Soon.” Quatre reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Right now, I live too much in the public spotlight to guarantee your safety.”

“I see…” 

“But I’ll call you everyday, if you’d like.” 

Her eyes lit up at the idea. “That would be lovely.” 

Trowa would take good care of her. Quatre was certain. And he thought it best that she was with someone she knew while she adjusted to a normal life. No doubt her time at the hands of Razouli had shaped her. Quatre didn’t want to think too much about it, but he knew she was likely traumatized by her experiences. As much as he loved to help her, he simply didn’t have the time, being in the middle of a huge ESUN project that he simply couldn’t step away from. _But soon…_ he vowed. _Soon there will be time for family._

Both he and Aalia looked up when Trowa came walking into the room, carrying a tray with steaming paper cups. 

“Coffee?” he inquired casually.

It was quite some time later when Trowa and Quatre stepped out of the room together. Quatre’s heart felt a lot lighter with the knowledge that his best friend would take good care of his sister. The way they interacted told him he had made the right choice not to take his sister to L4 with him. 

“You’ll keep her safe.” It was as much a question as it was a statement. 

Trowa gave him the barest hint of a smile. “You have my word.” 

“Thank you. Not just for taking care of her, but also for saving her.” Quatre patted his friend on the back. “I owe you.” 

“You don’t,” Trowa said dryly. 

“Oh, but I do.” Quatre grinned and continued on his way down the hallway. “I’ll call you when I land.” 

“Sure thing.” 

-x-x-x-

It was two weeks later that Trowa finally found himself on a Europe bound shuttle. They had been stuck in Egypt while Quatre had arranged for Aalia’s documentation and passport, and most of the time she had spend resting. She had gained some weight and there was bit more of a healthy glow to her cheeks. Still, the years of malnutrition took their toll on her. She still couldn’t walk for a long time, and she had to follow a special diet that allowed her body to slowly get used to regular meals again. Trowa made a mental note to contact Sally once Aalia was settled in in Brussels. She could set up a dietary and exercise plan to make sure she would gain strength.

“What will happen now?” Aalia asked, once the shuttle had reached flight altitude. 

Trowa met her questioning gaze. “I was thinking I’d set up an appointment with you with one of Preventer’s medical experts. She can help you gain strength.” 

“I’d like that.” She pursed her lips in thought and smiled. “What will you do in the meantime?” 

“Me and my partner have to round up the case so we can bring Razouli to trial.” 

“Then you’ll need my help, I suppose.” 

“Yes. But that’s not something you’ll worry about, okay?” he said when he noticed the shadows in her eyes. “Sally can also arrange for a therapist.” 

A frown formed between her eyebrows. “I think… Will I need to see one?” 

Trowa rested his hand on her shoulder. “You have been through a lot. It might help.” 

“And afterwards?” 

“Once we can guarantee your safety, you’ll be free to do as you choose. You could go and live with Quatre.” 

“Or I could stay with you?” 

He gave a nod. “Of course. You could study, or find a job.” 

A smile spread on her face at the prospects she had. It warmed his heart to see it. So far she had refused to talk about the suffering she had endured at the hands of Razouli, and he hated to think of the abuse she had gone through. To see her happy made him realize there was hope. 

“There’s only one little problem,” he said after clearing his throat. 

“Oh?” 

“I ah…” He gave a little sheepish chuckle. Christ, what was wrong with him? Sheepish was Duo’s forte. “My apartment… there’s no bed in the guest room.” 

“Oh…” Color rushed to her cheeks. “I could sleep on the couch.” 

“Nonsense,” he protested. “You’re still recovering. We’ll turn the guest room into something that will suit you, okay?” 

The smile she gave him was positively radiant. It soothed the dread he felt at the prospect of sleeping on his couch. 

When her head came to rest on his shoulder, Trowa dared a look down at her face and found her to be fast asleep. Her blonde hair tickled on his arm but he found he didn’t really care. It was rather comforting to have her so close. 

She shifted slightly in her sleep, getting more comfortable against him. She made a small noise in the back of her throat and a slight smile appeared on his face. He was glad to have her back in his life. During his time as a mechanic on L3 she had been a nice distraction. They had been good friends. When her Dunya had died he had promised to take care of her, but he had not been able to for long. 

When Razouli had gotten his hands on her, she had vanished without a trace. It was months later that he had found the grave, had believed her to be death. It had all been a trick and he hated to think he had fallen for it. 

But she was alright now…

She shifted again, muttering some intelligible words under her breath, while a frown formed on her face. Trowa recognize the first signs of a nightmare. He placed his hand on her shoulder and shook her gently. 

“Aalia,” he said softly. “Aalia, wake up.”

She didn’t wake up and shifted again. A whimper rising from her throat. The sound made his blood run cold. 

“Hey.” 

“Don’t… don’t touch me…” A desperate plea.

“Aalia,” he repeated, louder this time, “Aalia, wake up.”

He shook her again. She jolted away, gasping. “What… where…”

“Easy now,” he said. “Are you alright?”

She ran a hand through her hair. “I think so…”

He wished he could believe her, but from his own experiences he knew better. Now wasn’t the right place or time to make her talk about it. But she would have to at some point. 

-x-x-x-

_She looked at him in fear. Would he really? Razouli approached her, a mad glint in his eyes._

_“I’m going to break your spirit, you little whore,” he said._

_“No.” She backed away from him, until her back was pressed against the wall. “Leave me alone.”_

_Due to her sprained ankle she couldn’t move too fast and his knowing smirk said enough. He knew. He grabbed her shoulders in a rough and painful grip, making her tremble to her bones with fear._

_“Don’t… Don’t touch me!” She tried to push him away, but found herself too weak._

_She was only a girl and he a grown man. He had been chasing her around the room for hours. She felt numb and weak with fear._

_He slapped her cheek with so much force that the ground came up to meet her. She tried to move away from him, crawling over the tamped earth floor of the basement, but he grabbed her hair and used his grip on it to yank her to her feet._

_She cried out in pain. “Stop it! You’re hurting me.”_

_“That’s the idea, whore.” He grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back._

_She fought him all the way to the desk in the corner, struggling wildly in his grip. She tried, desperately to remember the self defense lessons that Nanashi had given her, but her brain was close to shutting down._

_Razouli threw her down onto the table and clasped his hand around her throat, forcefully holding her down. “You’ll never make it out of here alive.”_

_Her vision blurred and she struggled to breathe. She feared he was right. He was going to kill her and she would never see Nanashi again. Nanashi, who had sworn to protect her. But even he could not have foreseen this._

_Razouli lifted her head off the table and slammed it back down against the hard, wooden surface. She was left dizzy, with the dimly lit room spinning around her._

_“Nanashi…”_

_“You will not speak his name again, you hear me?!?”_

_Razouli’s voice sounded as if he was shouting down a tunnel at her. Her ears were ringing and she was painfully aware of her own raging heart beat thundering in her head. She was slipping and welcomed the darkness, almost pleaded with it to come and claim her. Anything but to be aware of her predicament._

_Her mother’s face appeared in her hazy vision, all pale, creamy skin surrounded by a mass of black curls. “Aalia…” she seemed to whisper. “Aalia, stay strong.”_

_But she wasn’t strong. She had lost when Razouli had come for her. He wanted to break her spirit, he had said._

_But he wouldn’t have her spirit. No, he might beat her ‘till she bled, but her spirit was her own._

_It was her last thought, before darkness claimed her._

-x-x-x-

Trowa opened the door to his apartment to let Aalia inside. She stepped into the hallway, a small smile on her face. The door fell shut behind them, and he rested his hand on her shoulder to propel her forward into the living room. 

She gazed around curiously, eyes roving over the overflowing book cases, the plants in the window sills, and the colorful throw pillows on the couch. Trowa nearly winced. Catherine had insisted on them, and yes, they were comfy. But he felt a little awkward at the smile that spread on Aalia’s face.

“It’s nice,” she said, then chuckled. “I like the pillows.” 

“My sister insisted on them.” 

“You have a sister?” Her eyes went wide at that new bit of information. “I thought you didn’t have any family.” 

“She’s not really my sister… but she acts like one.” 

“Oh.” Her smile was warm as it spread on her face. “But it’s nice to have someone act as your sister, I think.” 

Trowa thought of Cathy’s nagging about his lack of a girlfriend, her insistence that he needed soup the moment he set foot on the circus grounds, and her not so subtle inquiries about him giving up his work as a Preventer. 

“She has her charms,” he said dryly.

“So… Now what?” 

“I thought we’d get some rest. It’s already quite late.” He mentioned her to follow him. “I’ll show you the bedroom.”

She followed him and bit her lip as she gazed at his large double bed. “I feel bad knowing you’ll be sleeping on the couch.” 

He chuckled and rummaged around in his closet for a shirt that she could borrow. “Don’t worry. We’ll go furniture shopping tomorrow. And I suppose you’ll need clothes as well.” 

“Ah… right.”

“Quatre said he’d make sure you’d have some sort of allowance.” 

“Really?” 

“Yes.” He handed her a shirt. “You’re family. All his sisters have an allowance that comes from Winner Inc.” 

“I see…” 

He showed her the bathroom where she changed into the shirt he had given her. While she was busy, he dug up a pillow and a blanket and went to make his bed in the living room. By the time she poked her head around the door, he was already stretched out on the couch. 

“Would you mind if I left the door open?” she questioned in a timid tone.

“Of course not.” 

“Okay.” She smiled at him. “Goodnight.” 

“Night.” 

He heard her crawl into his bed and sighed. God he was tired. Almost tired enough not to hate his couch. It was comfortable enough to sit on, but sleeping was another matter. It was only for one night, he told himself. Tomorrow, she’d have her own bed in the guest bedroom. 

Content with that thought, he let sleep claim him. 

**\- End chapter 2 -**


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HA! I’m finally updating this! It was bit of a struggle because this chapter had to be rewritten completely and I wasn’t so sure how to go about it. It’s therefore on the short side. From now on it should be easier. I hope. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing.

**For the heart I once had  
Chapter 3**

When Aalia stirred from sleep the next morning, she found herself warm and comfortably, snuggly wrapped up in Trowa’s arms. She was still sleepy enough not to realize that he shouldn’t be in bed with her, and snuggled into his chest once more. 

But then realization sank in. She shot up and gazed down at him with wide eyes. Her movements woke him and he rolled onto his back, stretching lazily beneath the sheets.

“I… You… What… What are you doing here?” she stammered.

Trowa stifled a yawn behind his hand and pushed at his hair with the other. It took a while for him to answer her, which caused her agitation to rise.

“You were having a nightmare,” he said, voice husky from sleep. “And the couch is not comfortable.” 

“You should have woken me,” she told him, while fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. 

“I tried.” He sat up as well and reached out to rest his hand on her shoulder. “You wouldn’t wake up and you were crying in your sleep.” 

“Oh…” Her eyebrows drew together in a frown. “I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t be. You can’t help this.” The look he gave her was kind and settled the worry in her gut somewhat. “I held you until you calmed down.”

“Thanks…” Mortification made color rise to her cheeks. 

“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I didn’t mean to startle you.” 

“I-it’s fine…” she replied quietly. “It’s just…” _I never slept next to a man before._

The utter mortification following that thought made her blush once more. What must he think of her! She scooted back from him and propped her pillow up against the headboard. She leaned back against it and simply sat looking at him.

It once again occurred to her that he had grown into a beautiful man. One who had slept holding her… She cleared her throat.

“You were holding me.” 

“Was I?” His lips twitched and his eyes glinted with amusement. 

“Yes.” 

He reached out and tugged on a lock of her hair. “We should get up. The sooner we hit the road, the sooner we’ll be back.” 

“Ah, right.” But she made no move to get up yet. “And then what?” 

“I thought we’d head to the mall so you can buy some clothes.” 

She smiled and nodded. “That would be nice.” 

“Good. We’ll have breakfast on the way.” 

-x-x-x-

Trowa was glad to plop down on the couch at the end of the day. In hindsight, it **was** comfortable. He groaned and sank into the cushions, throwing an arm over his eyes. He was **never** building Ikea furniture again.

Aalia seemed happy enough with the furniture they had bought. Alongside the bed, there had been a wardrobe and a nightstand, a bookcase and some other cabinets that she insisted she needed. At the time Trowa hadn’t been able to phantom why she would need so much storage space for the meager items she had. 

Until he took her to the mall. The allowance Quatre had given her was enough for her to buy a cellphone, a complete wardrobe full of clothes, toiletries and whatnot, and then there were the books. Heaps of them. Given the fact that she wasn’t strong enough to carry all of her purchases herself, Trowa had been the one to carry the bags for her and he had caught other men at the mall giving him sympathetic looks. 

“I want to hate you,” he groaned when he heard her footsteps coming down the hallway.

She laughed at his disgruntled expression. “I wasn’t that bad, was I?” 

“Terrible.” 

She was grinning at him, her eyes sparkling with mirth. He was glad to see it there. 

“I’ll start on dinner soon,” he said. “You can help me.” 

“Can I?” Her expression turned hopeful as she came to sit at the end of the couch. “You’ll teach me how to cook?” 

“I can make a decent meal, but I’d recommend cooking classes if you really want to be good at it,” he said dryly.

“Oh! I could do that!” The excitement lit up her entire face.

It was almost endearing to see her realize she was free to make her own decisions. Her face had sported the same expression when they had shopped for furniture, and again at the mall, where she had just reveled at all the shops and the things she could buy. 

At one of the stores he had texted Sally while Aalia had been trying on clothes. Sally had promised to drop by the next day to check on Aalia and to set up a plan for her. 

For now she seemed fine, he thought. All the new experiences were keeping her spirits high. But once she was settled in, her demons would come to haunt her. And Trowa wasn’t sure he was the right person to guide her during the confrontation. He’d support her. But he had his own demons to face, and he was sure he’d struggle alongside her.

He’d have to face his guilt again. 

Razouli was going to pay dearly for what he had done. Trowa would make sure of that. But in the aftermath, he’d need someone to support Aalia. Someone who knew what they were doing. 

-x-x-x-

Aalia looked up when the doorbell rang and felt her nerves increase as Trowa went to open the door. He had told her a doctor would be stopping by today to see her. Aalia wasn’t sure if she liked it. Back in the plane, Trowa had suggested she’d see a therapist and she dreaded the very idea. She didn’t want to think of the past few years. She didn’t want to relive the memories and the horrors. 

But Trowa had insisted that the doctor was nice. Sally, he had called her. He must know her well if they were on a first name basis. 

“Trowa! It’s good to see you!” The voice that came drifting from the hallway was warm and kind. “How are you?” 

“Good.” Trowa’s tone warmed slightly. “You look good.” 

“Thanks.” The smile was obvious in the woman’s voice and she sounded pleased with the compliment. 

An unpleasant feeling made Aalia’s stomach turn. Their footsteps came towards the living room and she steeled herself. 

Her breath left her lungs in a rush when she got her first good look at the doctor. She was tall and curvy and gorgeous, and very, very pregnant. She came to a halt when she noticed Aalia sitting in the arm chair with a book, and a warm smile formed on her face. It put Aalia at ease immediately.

She rose from the chair and extended her hand towards the other woman. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Aalia.” 

“Sally Po.” She firmly shook Aalia’s hand and sank down onto the couch. “Trowa told me you need a dietary plan and some exercises that help strengthening your muscles.” 

Aalia was glad she didn’t mention therapy yet, and beamed a smile at her. “Yes. I want to get stronger.” 

“Very well.” Sally pulled a notebook from her bag and opened it. “Let’s figure this out.” 

It was quite a few hours later when Sally left the apartment. She had set up a detailed dietary and exercise plan for Aalia, instructing her to start easy by taking walks on a daily basis. From there on she could build up towards a work out.

Aalia was smiling when Trowa came walking into the living room from the kitchen, carrying two steaming mugs with him. He handed her the one that contained tea and sat down next to her.

“I like Sally,” she said. “She’s nice.” 

“That she is,” Trowa agreed. “So… want to go out for a walk tomorrow after dinner?” 

“Sure!” Her smile was wide and beaming.

Trowa suspected her mood was so good because Sally had been so smart to steer clear of the therapy subject for now. But it was painstakingly clear that Aalia needed it. During the night she had suffered from nightmares again, and it had been so severe that she had ended up crawling into his bed in the middle of the night. Trowa had found himself not minding it. It was rather calming to be next to her, to know she was able to sleep peacefully as he held her. His gut had twisted at the sight of her tear stained cheeks and terror filled eyes. It had made rage simmer. He had felt an almost unstoppable urge hurt Razouli, make the monster wish he had never been born. 

“I have to be at work until five. Will you be okay on your own?” 

“I can call you if something comes up right?” she said. “You don’t have to worry about me.” 

“Just use the time to rest and eat.” 

“I was planning on that.” She smiled around the rim of her mug. 

“Sally gave me a list of supplements that you have to start taking. I’ll pick them up on my way from work.” 

“Thanks.” She reached out and curled her fingers around his. “For everything.”

Her touch sent a warm feeling coursing through his veins and he found himself having to clear his throat before he could speak again. “You’re welcome.” 

-x-x-x-

It was well past midnight when Trowa woke up from the soft footsteps in the hallway. The next moment there was a timid knock on his door. “Trowa?” 

The terror in her voice made the hairs on the back of his neck rise up. “Come on in.” 

Aalia opened the door and came sailing into the room, sobbing with panic. Trowa found himself flat on his back with her wailing into his chest the next moment. 

“I’m sorry,” she sobbed helplessly.

He wrapped her up in his arms and held her, smoothing a hand over her hair in a gentle caress. “It’s okay.”

“I try, but the nightmares…” She wiped at her cheeks and hiccuped. “Maybe you’re right about the therapy.”

“Shh… We’ll talk about that tomorrow.” He grabbed hold of the sheets and held them up for her so she could crawl underneath them.

Aalia was quick to do so and snuggled up against him. The warmth of her body seeped into his and Trowa desperately tried to ignore the tightening in his gut. She was Quatre’s sister, he told himself sternly. He was not going to lust after her. Quatre was going to have his head if he found out that Trowa allowed his sister to sleep in his bed, even if it was for purely innocent reasons.

But were they really innocent? Trowa wondered as he lay staring up at the ceiling, long after Aalia had fallen asleep. He found himself rather liking having her next to him like this. 

He was being ridiculous. He was going to set her up with a therapist so she could sleep through the night in her own bed. And he would keep his fucking hands to himself.

**\- End chapter 3 -**


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter had to be rewritten almost entirely, and took me a damn long time. Ugh... From now on it should be easier because this was the final chapter I wrote back in the day before the story went on a three year long hiatus. 
> 
> I hope you’ll enjoy reading it!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing.

**For the heart I once had  
Chapter 4**

In the weeks that followed, Aalia focused most of her time on her diet and exercise plan. To her it was huge reward to see it pay off. Her strength grew with every day that passed, and once Sally gave the green light, Trowa took her to the gym for more serious workouts. 

She enjoyed working out alongside him, listening to his quiet instructions and encouragements. More than once she found herself admiring his graceful movements, and the way his biceps bulged under the sleeves of his shirt as he lifted weights. She was acutely reminded of the fact that he no longer was the quiet boy she had been friends with. And whenever she realized that fact, warmth bloomed in her belly. 

It was… oddly liberating to experience something as simple as attraction. In her years as Razouli’s captive she’d been robbed of and denied so many experiences. She was determined to reclaim that. But she didn’t dare to tell Trowa yet. Despite all her progress, the nightmares were persistent and she found herself rushing to his room every night. The safety of his arms, the calm that his nearness brought her, she didn’t want to lose it. She feared that he wouldn’t accept her feelings and turn her away.

It was silly, she would sometimes tell herself. Why would someone like Trowa hate her for feeling the way she felt? He was kind, considerate, caring. She knew he worried. 

And so, when he suggested making an appointment with a therapist, she did so reluctantly.

He went with her to the first appointment, and sat in the waiting room while she talked to the therapist. Knowing that he was there strengthened her resolve to become stronger. 

But as the therapy sessions progressed she discovered she still had a long way to go.

-x-x-x-

Trowa heard her scream and was jolted from sleep. It took a moment for him to regain his bearings, to calm his raging heartbeat, to remember he was in his own bed and that it was just Aalia having a nightmare. He heard her pounding footsteps as she came rushing to his room, her breath coming out in hysteric sobs. 

She appeared in the doorway, eyes wide with panic, a little unfocused as if she was not yet awake. The terror was etched deep into her face. All the progress she made during daytime was cut short every night. But tonight is seemed worse than normal.

Trowa held out his arms and the next moment she was there, face buried in his chest as her shoulders heaved with her labored breathing.

“I’ve got you,” he murmured soothingly, while running a hand over her hair. “Ssh…”

It took some time for her to calm down, for her heartbeat to slow and her breathing to even out. Trowa held her and murmured soothing words into her ear. 

When she had finally regained her ability to speak, she pulled back to look at him. “This has to stop.” 

“It will,” he assured her. “In time.” 

She swallowed thickly. “I… I can’t go on like this.”

“It might seem like it doesn’t help, but you need the therapy.” 

“Why?” Tears sprang into her eyes and Trowa’s heart tightened in his chest at the sight.

He caught the tear that escaped with his thump and gave her an encouraging look. “Because you have to work through everything that happened to you, give it a place.” 

“I don’t like remembering.” She shuddered in his arms. 

“I know.” He tucked her head under his chin, trying desperately to ignore the sweet scent that clung to her hair. Something floral, mixed with honey. “Just… give yourself some time. And don’t give up.” 

“It’s not easy.” 

“No, it’s not. But you’re strong and you will get through this.” 

“You have such faith in me.” She pushed herself up on her elbows to look at him. Now that the initial terror was gone, she looked much calmer, and her lips were twitching into a hint of a smile.

He couldn’t stop himself from touching her cheek. 

“Of course,” he said, noticing his voice had gone husky. “I believe you can do this.” 

“Thank you.” She lowered her head onto his chest again. “It helps to know that. To be next to you.” 

His heart skipped a beat at her words, and he desperately tried to ignore it. He reminded himself once again that he had no business feeling this way about his best friend’s sister. It got harder by the day. Even now, with her eyes red from crying she looked lovely, and the feeling of her body pressing into his made his gut ache with the first pinpricks of desire.

He was quick to steer his thoughts away from that direction. He was **not** going to go there. No way. 

But when she shifted even closer it became almost impossible. 

How was he supposed to deal with this? And what if he did act on his desire… he would feel like he was taking advantage of her. She was still so fragile, and not ready to deal with any advances on his part. Lord knew what Razouli had done to her. The thought alone made anger whirl in his stomach. Aalia didn’t talk about her time as Razouli’s captive with him. She simply refused whenever he tried to bring it up. But her nightmares were bad enough for Trowa to guess at what horrors she had faced.

He couldn’t. And he definitely _shouldn’t._

He realized a tad late that her breathing had evened out, and sighed. But that didn’t help matters any as he got a whiff of her scent. Definitely something floral. And now that she was asleep, he couldn’t stop himself from burying his nose in her hair. 

He tightened his grip on her when she murmured something in her sleep. 

_Fragile,_ he reminded himself. But she had the heart of a lioness. 

He willfully relaxed and drifted off into a light slumber. 

-x-x-x-

“So you have no idea why you came to live with Dunya?”

Aalia shook her head. “No… I was hoping you’d found something.”

Quatre gave her a smile through the VID-phone screen. “I’m working on it.”

“She always spoke highly of our family and told me I’d get to meet all of you one day.” Aalia wrapped her hands around her cup and sipped her tea. “I don’t think she kidnapped me.” 

“If that were the case, surely Father would have searched all over the Earth Sphere for you.” 

Hearing those words made her feel warm and secure. She loved her weekly VID-phone calls with Quatre. Over the past few weeks she’d gotten to know him rather well and she found that they had much in common. She liked him and it often felt as if she had recovered some missing part of herself whenever she talked to him. 

Quatre had known their father and always spoke highly of him. It felt good to know that her father would have searched for her if he’d known about her predicament. 

“Heero has been digging into the Barton foundation,” Quatre said. “Even if the culprits are long gone, I’d still like to know who was responsible for ordering Dunya’s death.” 

“I… I’d like to know too,” Aalia replied softly. “She didn’t deserve to die in the way she did. She was a good woman.” 

Quatre gave her a reassuring smile. “We’ll find out.” 

“Yeah.” 

“So how is the course coming along?” 

“It’s fine… It’s a lot of material to grasp at once though.” 

A week ago Aalia had enrolled into an online course to obtain her high school diploma. She wanted to study and feel useful. Now that she was gaining strength, she didn’t need to rest as much anymore and often found her mind wandering. Usually towards Trowa and her feelings for him, but it also happened often that her memories came to haunt her. 

The schoolwork provided a good distraction and she was better able to compartmentalize. Her therapist has also noticed the change and encouraged her to find a routine that was comfortable for her. Although it was slow, she felt like she was making some progress. 

“I can imagine,” Quatre said. “But I’m sure you’ll do just fine. You’ve got a good brain on you.” 

She chuckled. “Thanks.” 

“So… Tell me what you want to do after you finish the course.” 

“Well… A lot.” 

Quatre grinned and pretended to check his watch. “I’ve got time.” 

“Alright then…” 

It was a lot later when she finally hung up.

-x-x-x-

An additional three weeks later, Trowa was thoroughly cursing the situation. It seemed Aalia only managed to sleep peacefully whenever she slept next to him, and now that the Razouli case neared its court date, he needed to sleep through the night undisturbed. He had reluctantly suggested that she slept in his bed for the time being.

He felt more rested during the days and Aalia seemed much calmer, but it didn’t ease the raging desire he felt for her. It got worse by the day and more difficult to ignore it. 

He didn’t want to get involved.

But did he really?

He was glad his work was demanding absolute focus. He, Duo, and Heero worked their asses off to gather all the evidence they had accumulated against Razouli, making sure the case was tight. Aalia had to take a couple of hearings, and Trowa had felt anxious at the prospect.

But she pulled herself through with admirable determination, and Trowa realized that the therapy helped her to rely her experiences in a way that didn’t trigger her trauma. But what he read in the reports that Duo wrote up on the hearings made his blood boil.

Razouli had been intend on making her beg for mercy. She had been beaten, starved, and beaten again. And endless pattern, and she had been left in the dark basement for weeks on end. Trowa’s biggest fear had been that Razouli had assaulted her in other ways as well. But Razouli was proud of his control it seemed. He had been determined to torture Aalia in such a way that she would have come to him out of her own free will to stop him from hurting her more. 

“It’s a little odd, right?” Duo questioned him over coffee during a Friday afternoon. “This man is a monster, but he is more into mind games.”

“Emotional abuse,” Trowa said. “He gets his high from that.” 

“He used it on you too, making you believe she was dead and all…”

“Yeah…” Trowa begrudgingly agreed. “Guess he did.”

But was he to blame? He’d been a fourteen year old kid. 

Duo’s lips twitched into a grin, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “So… planning to snatch her up yet?” 

Trowa’s eyes narrowed. “What?” 

“Come on, man,” Duo said with a laugh. “I see the way you look at her.”

“Doesn’t mean I should act on it,” Trowa muttered under his breath, annoyed at the direction the conversation was taking. 

“Why? Because she’s Quatre’s sister?” Duo sounded incredulous. “If you like her, you shouldn’t let that stop you.” 

“And what would that make me?” Trowa demanded while shoving back his chair and getting up. “I’d be no better than Razouli, taking advantage of her like that.” 

He stormed out of the cafeteria and back to his office. Duo sought him out a bit later, giving him some time to calm down. 

“I’m sorry,” Duo said. “I didn’t mean to anger you. But you know… she looks at you in the same way.”

Trowa sighed. “You’re not helping.”

Duo grinned. “What? You don’t want to be happy?” 

“Stop pestering Barton.” 

Trowa raised an eyebrow at the familiar voice that sounded behind Duo, and the next moment Duo let out a yelp as Wufei yanked him out of the door opening by his braid. “I have need of you, Maxwell.” 

“Ow! Hands off the hair, ‘Fei!” 

“I might if you ask nicely.” 

Trowa let out a snort and got up to shut the door. Once he was seated behind his desk again, he allowed his mind to wander.

Did Aalia really look at him the same way? Was that possible? He’d have to find out, wouldn’t he?

-x-x-x-

A phone rang in a small, dark and dank bedroom. A hand reached out and snatched the phone of the hook. The voice was rough with sleep as it answered the phone.

“Hello?”

The man’s eyes widened when he heard the name of the person who was calling him, all traces of sleep leaving him at once. Instead, his heart started to beat faster with anticipation. “Yes? What can I do for you?”

He listened intently to what the person had to say and a smirk came to play over his scarred face as he listened to the demands. His body was already thrumming, the need to kill making him thirsty for blood. It was like a drug to him, a thing he needed to survive. “That’s going to cost you money. What’s the girl’s name?”

He grabbed a notebook and a pen and started writing. _Aalia Winner._ “How do you want me to take care of her?”

He grinned as he heard how the girl was supposed to die. “I’ll see to it.”

-x-x-x-

When Aalia came home that afternoon she felt like she had bought another brand new wardrobe on her shopping spree with Relena Darlian. Relena and her had become good friends in the span of a few weeks. The moment Relena had heard that Quatre had a sister, she had showed up on Trowa’s doorstep, demanding to meet her. Aalia couldn’t be more grateful. As much as she liked Trowa, she could tell from that first trip to the mall that he _hated_ shopping, so it was nice to now have someone that she could plan such outings with. 

Heero had trailed after them in silence as Relena had dragged her along the streets that housed the more exclusive stores of Brussels. She had been a little bit too enthusiastic about shopping and had gotten Aalia so far to try on many outfits. 

Aalia had never had so much fun in her life before. 

She found Trowa lounging on the couch. His eyes were closed and his posture relaxed, so she assumed he was asleep. She smiled to herself. He claimed his couch wasn’t comfortable to sleep on, but he sure loved lazing away on it. She quietly walked into the hallway towards her room and decided to change in the new dress she had bought. 

It was stylish and classy, with a floral pattern of exotic flowers. She had goggled at the price tag, even though she knew she had more than enough money to afford it. The moment she had tried it on, she was sold on it. 

When she walked back into the living room, Trowa was awake. She met his gaze with a smile and showed her dress. “What do you think?”

“You look pretty,” he said.

Her cheeks flamed at his compliment and she desperately hoped he wouldn’t see it. “I bought a lot more. Relena is a bad influence.”

A small smile spread on his face. “She is nice, huh?”

“Yes! She is a great friend.”

Trowa thought she looked strikingly beautiful in that dress. It brought out her eyes, making them seem more blue an mysterious. He noticed she was wearing some make-up, probably Relena’s doing as well. She looked happy, and the excitement brought a rosy color to her cheeks. To see it made his gut tighten.

Duo had said she had looked at him in the same way.

But he found himself not ready to act on his feelings yet. He would wait a little while longer. When the time was right…

-x-x-x-

Dust kicked up from the tires of the old jeep as the assassin drove over a deserted road. He would reach the airport in two hours. He hardly made it out of his hiding place, only for the high paid jobs and this one was going to pay him more than enough. 

It seemed his client was desperate for the target to die. 

He had collected all the info he could get his hands on, but there wasn’t much to be found. Just scraps of intel. His client had told him the target was under the protection of a Preventer agent. He’d go to Brussels and find that man. From there on he could trace the girl. 

It was just a matter of time before Aalia Winner was history…

**\- End chapter 4 -**


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for an update on this story! I’m so glad to finally get another chapter out! It’s a bit of a struggle to rewrite it sometimes, LOL.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing, its characters, or you.

**For the heart I once had  
Chapter 5**

Trowa stopped dead in his tracks when he entered Commander Une’s office. He had expected Duo and Heero to be there as well, as Une had called him in for something related to the Razouli case, but she was alone, facing the windows that overlooked the city. He caught a flash of her expression in the reflection of the glass. She looked troubled, worried.

“You wanted to see me, Ma’am?” Trowa said, catching her attention.

She swiftly turned around, her posture pin straight, a remainder of her years as a soldier. “Yes. Close the door, please.” 

Trowa did so and crossed the office towards her desk, seating himself in one of the comfortable leather chairs. He gave her an expectant look. Une sat down behind her desk and rested her elbows on the gleaming mahogany surface, interlocking her fingers.

“Mehmet Razouli made a phone call last night with a smuggled cellphone,” she said, and the worry coated her tone.

“Shit.” 

Une didn’t even look fazed. “Indeed. I set Yuy and Maxwell on it to trace the call and find out what it was about. In the mean time, you have to be on your guard.”

“I see.” 

“Aalia Winner is one of the main witnesses in his case. Without her testimony, it’s almost useless to bring him to court.” Une leaned back in her seat. “She needs to remain safe.” 

“I can take her into hiding.” 

“We can provide a safe house.” 

“No need.” Trowa shook his head. “We’ll be well hidden.” 

He already had an idea where he would take her. 

“You have to keep her hidden until the case goes to court.”

“Understood.” Trowa got up. “I’ll see to everything immediately.” 

Une nodded, looking solemn. “Keep in touch with Yuy and Maxwell through secured lines. I’ll provide you with special clearance for travel, so you can skip the security checks.” 

“Thank you.” Trowa got up and left her office, striding down the hallway towards the elevator. 

He was back on his floor in minutes and barged into the office that Heero and Duo shared. “You got something?” 

“Not yet.” Duo’s face was grim. “I take it the Commander informed you?” 

“Yes.” Trowa closed the door so that the conversation couldn’t be overheard. “I’ll be taking her to L4. I’ll hide her in one of the Winner estates.” 

“In plain sight.” Duo clucked his tongue. “Not a bad idea. It’s not a move they’ll be expecting.” 

“No. And the place is well secured.” Trowa seated himself on the edge of Duo’s desk. 

Heero was typing away furiously behind his computer, concentration etched onto his face. “The only trace I’ve found so far is that the call was made to an estate hidden in the Brazilian jungle.”

“That sounds fishy,” Duo muttered. 

“Yeah,” Heero said. 

“I’ll go home and get ready to leave. Call me if you find anything.” 

“Sure thing.” Heero didn’t even look up from his screen. 

“The situation has some pro’s,” Duo said, his tone turning mischievous. 

Trowa rolled his eyes as he knew where this was heading. “Screw you, Duo.” 

“Screw the girl instead, Barton.” 

He flipped Duo his finger and left the office. He had more important matters on his mind than progressing his bond with Aalia. Like keeping her safe, for instance. He was going to make sure that Razouli wouldn’t get his hands on her. 

-x-x-x-

Aalia looked up from her study books in surprise when Trowa came walking into the living room. He was home earlier than expected. He clutching his phone between his ear and shoulder, while noting down some information in a small notebook. 

“Sure thing,” he said. “We’ll start packing and head straight to the space port.” 

She frowned in confusion and felt her heart leap into her throat at the implication. Was something going on? She anxiously waited for him to hang up. When he did, she spoke up. “Are we leaving?” 

“As a precaution.” Trowa didn’t look very worried, and that eased her mind somewhat. “Razouli had a smuggled in cellphone in his cell. He used it to make a phone call.” 

“Oh…” Her heartbeat sped up again and she bit down on her bottom lip. “He is after me.” 

“We’ll leave for L4 in two hours. Quatre will provide us with a safe house until the court date.” 

“I see.” Aalia closed her text book and got up. “I’ll start packing.” 

“Pack one duffel bag,” Trowa said. “We’ll travel light.”

“Noted.” She was on the move, heading towards her room to gather up clothes and toiletries. 

Her heart was beating frantically in her chest, but she held onto the fact that Trowa was calm. As long as he was like this, she had no reason to worry. He would make sure she was safe, that she stayed out of Razouli’s reach. 

She zipped the duffle bag shut and went to find Trowa. He was almost done packing himself. 

“Preventer has provided us with special clearances for travel,” he explained as he slung his own duffel bag over his shoulder and held out his hand to take hers. “We can avoid the security checks that way. None will know where we went.” 

“Do you think he send someone after me?” 

“The possibility is big,” Trowa said, while propelling her out of his bedroom by her shoulder. “Duo and Heero as looking into it.” 

“Okay… Is there anything I can do?” 

He gave her an amused look. “You can go over your statements again. See if anything needs to be added to it.” 

She wanted to slap his arm, because the simple idea made her feel useless. “That’s not enough.”

“No,” he agreed simply. “I’ll train you in self defense once we’ve settled in the safe house. We’ll have all the time in the world and I think you’re strong enough now.” 

She nodded and grabbed her jacket. “Good idea. I’m sorry about this.” 

He shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not your fault.” 

“So many people are going to great lengths for me. I can’t help but feel guilty.” She bit her lip as she followed Trowa out of the apartment.

She notice how he moved in on her, and practically became her shadow as he ushered her towards the metro stop. 

“We’re not taking your car?” 

“They’ll trace it.” 

“Right.” She made sure to stick close to him, making it easier for him to come to her defense if needed. 

He easily slid his arm around her shoulders and led her on. It made her heart skip a beat, and she tried to keep herself from leaning in to him, even though the heat of his body was enticing her to do so. 

But once they were steadily on their way to the Space Port, realization sank in. She was going to be alone with him for an undetermined time. She couldn’t help but wonder what kind of possibilities would present themselves.

-x-x-x-

Aalia couldn’t relax after the shuttle had taken off. She clutched the armrests of her seat in a white knuckled grasp as she stared out of the small window, lost in thought, lost in memories. It had been a long time since she had been to outer space. She was a space brat, had grown up there, but it hadn’t been her home for a long time. Her mother had died here. Both of her mothers had, she reminded herself. 

She and Quatre were no closer to unveiling the mystery as to how she had come to live with Dunya. But maybe L4 would hold some answers. 

She turned her attention towards Trowa, who sat in the aisle seat, his long legs folded in a way that told her the cramped seat had to be uncomfortable for him. He had been in a hurry arranging for their flight, and to avoid suspicion and attention, had settled for economy class seats. 

“Poor you,” she said with a small smile.

“I’ll be fine,” he answered dryly. 

She couldn’t stop the bubble of laughter that build in her throat and leaned in, resting her head against his shoulder. “I’ll be fine if you want to get up and stretch your legs a bit.”

“I won’t leave your side, so nope.” He shifted in his seat and stretched out his legs into the aisle. “It’s just a couple more hours.” 

“If you say so.” Her smile was cheeky, but her heart warm, as he didn’t seem to mind her closeness to him. She relaxed against him and sighed happily. “I’m glad you’re with me.” 

“Hmm…” He gave her a small smile.

She had to swallow thickly at the warmth in his eyes. More than ever, she wanted him to wrap her up in his arms and hold her. She wanted to be closer to him than she was now. 

“I am starting to feel more normal by the day and it’s all thanks to you,” she murmured. “So thank you.” 

“You’re welcome.” He raised his arm and easily slipped it around her shoulders. 

Her smile widened and she leaned in to brush a kiss over his cheek. 

Trowa felt heat flare in the pit of his stomach at the soft touch of her warm lips against his skin. This was getting out of hand. He felt all his resolve to keep her at a distance slipping through his fingers. 

Who was he kidding?

He wanted her; he had to stop denying it. But was it right to pursue her? 

He was supposed to protect her, not snatch her up and kiss her, as much as he wanted to do so in that very moment. His head was at war with his body, rationality against desire. It would only be a matter of time before he found out which part of him was the strongest. 

But at this point, his head was stronger. He was not going to kiss her on a shuttle. She didn’t deserve that. 

He sighed quietly to himself and only then noticed that she had snuggled into his shoulder and was fast asleep. He allowed himself to rest his cheek against her hair. That floral scent came to tease his senses again with every breath he took. He shifted slightly in his seat, mentally cursing the cramped space he could barely move around in. He was careful not to move his shoulder too much and relaxed in his seat when he finally was comfortable. 

He had to remain on guard, so he wouldn’t permit himself to sleep. But for the next few hours he would be content. 

-x-x-x-

Aalia stood gaping at the house in astonishment. _This couldn’t be real! Right?_

“Don’t look so surprised. I told you it was your brother’s house,” Trowa stated dryly as he stepped up beside her. 

“This is huge.” Aalia shook her head, amazed at the size of the sprawling property and the enormous garden spreading around it. It looked well kept and inviting, despite its size. 

“When it comes to houses, your brother has no modesty. He calls houses like these small.”

She stifled a giggle behind her hand. “Oh my…” 

“Let’s go inside.” Trowa punched in the security code to open the gate and led her towards the front door, where he had to work his way through various other security measures installed. 

Intruding into this place had to be impossible. Or at least it should be. Trowa knew better than to underestimate an enemy. 

Aalia stepped into the spacious foyer, her eyes widening at the blatant display of luxury. For someone who had spend a big chunk of her life locked up in poor conditions, this had to be the ultimate paradise. Trowa didn’t even bat an eye. He had long since grown used to the Winner family’s status. She walked into the house, crossing the hallway towards what Trowa guessed to be the living room.

He took a moment to set the alarm in place again and followed her, finding her sprawled onto one of the huge couches that stood facing the window. 

“I could get used to this…” she said with a cheeky grin.

“So you’re a Winner after all.” 

She laughed and the joyous sound made him grin. 

“I knew it had to be hiding somewhere in you.” He dumped the duffle bags on the ground and collapsed back on the other end of the couch. 

“Are you tired?” she asked.

“I didn’t sleep on the flight.” Trowa rubbed a hand over his brow and nearly groaned as his stiff body sank into the couch cushions. “Now I think I can sleep for a week or so.” 

She chuckled and sat up. “Why don’t you take a nap? I’ll go and explore the house.” 

“I’m liking you very much right now.” 

She chuckled again and hopped off the couch. “Who knows… I might find some info on Dunya here.” 

“There should be a library somewhere in here as well,” Trowa said, while swinging his legs onto the couch and stretching out languidly. “If you get lost, scream and I’ll find you.” 

She playfully swatted his arm. “You won’t be able to hear me if it’s at the other end of the house.” 

“My hearing is excellent.” 

“Uhuh… Go to sleep.” 

She walked out of the room and Trowa grinned up at the ceiling. She was getting some of that old spunk back and he liked seeing it. It gave him some hope that she was doing better. 

**\- End chapter 5 -**


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update time! This chapter took surprisingly little time to edit. Hopefully next chapter will be just as easy, LOL.
> 
> Enjoy! ;)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing.

**For the heart I once had  
Chapter 6**

Aalia sighed wistfully as she watched the rain fall from the artificial sky. After being locked up in a basement for years, she enjoyed all kinds of weather, even the regulated kind from the colonies. But truth to be told, she’d rather be back on Earth to witness an natural rain shower. She was sitting on the covered patio of the house, enjoying the fresh scent of wet flowers. After two weeks she knew her way around the mansion, and Trowa was okay with letting her wander about by herself, as long as she didn’t leave the shadows of the house. 

She was fine with that. Even though she didn’t feel like she was in danger, she knew she had to be on guard. Trowa had proven true to his word, and taught her many self defense techniques on a daily basis. He also had taught her how to use a gun and a knife. It was exhilarating to push her body to its limits this way. During the evenings she often was so exhausted, she slept through the night without problems. 

But that, she figured, had more to do with Trowa’s presence. She had tried sleeping alone on their first night in the mansion, she really had. But without his calming presence, the nightmares had crept up on her again. So she slept in his room every night, and pretended not to notice that he wrapped her up in his arms before he fell asleep. Every time he did, her heart nearly exploded from joy in her chest. Her hope that he returned the feelings she harbored for him grew stronger each day.

The rain fell harder, drawing her attention away from the book that she was reading. Trowa was inside, paying no mind to her enjoyment of the rain. He was busy talking to Wufei about the Razouli case over a secured vid-phone line. She could hear his voice drift through the open doors. Heero and Duo had left Brussels a week ago to chase a lead, and Wufei had been charged with preparing for the court case in their absence. She had dutifully read over the reports and her statements again, checking for any details that needed to be added. 

It was a harrowing job that made her head ache time and time again. 

But today, Trowa had promised her, she could do whatever she wanted. She had taken a stack of books with her from the library and was struggling her way through an old English copy of Pride and Prejudice. For a moment, she put the book aside and rose up from her seat. She could walk up to the edge of the patio. She held out her hand, letting the rain drops dance on her skin.

She no longer heard Trowa’s voice, but she could feel his eyes on her. He was watching her. She took another step forward and stepped into the rain, turning her face to the sky with a smile. The rain wasn’t cold and drenched her in minutes.

“You’re going to get sick like that.” Trowa’s voice sounded right behind her and his hands came to rest on her shoulders.

“No, I won’t.” 

His hands felt warm on her shoulders. She leaned back, until her back was pressed against his chest and his arms came around to wrap her up in his embrace. It was so natural for them to act like this, she mused. It had become a habit to snuggle up against him, to enjoy the feeling of his body against hers. She could feel the heat of his body through the tin T-shirt he wore. Her hands came up to caress the skin of his forearms. 

They stood like that for a long time and Aalia didn’t turn around in his embrace until she started to feel cold. And when she did so, she gulped. Water droplets clung to his face and hair. His eyes were dark, keeping hers captive with a look that made her feel warm all over and her heart jump in her chest. He leaned in and she held her breath in anticipation. _Finally_.

The first touch of his lips against hers was gentle. Her eyes drifted shut, and she rose on her tip toes so she could wrap her arms around his neck, kissing him back eagerly. His fingers tangled in her hair, while his other hand slipped around her waist to press her up against him. He deepened the kiss, his tongue dancing with hers in a seductive dance that left her whimpering with need. 

“Trowa…” she moaned in his mouth.

She tasted like the honey she had put in her tea earlier. The scent of her wet hair filled his nostrils, making him drunk with it. Weeks of pent up frustration came back at him, instantly arousing him. Her fingers massaged the back of his neck, slid down his back, her fingertips pressing into his skin through the fabric of his T-shirt. The rain continued to fall down on them, but neither he nor Aalia paid attention to it, both being lost in the kiss. He tore his mouth from hers, dragging it over her jaw to her throat, where he worshipped the soft skin.

She gasped and clung to him as her head fell back in surrender to his ministrations. Sensations rushed through her, heating her desire. She needed him. She shuddered when he found her pulse point and left a mark on the skin there. 

“Aalia…” He murmured her name against her skin, his voice husky and laced with desire. 

He found her mouth again. His hands slid down to her hips to lift her up, and she was quick to wrap her legs around his waist. He broke the kiss and pulled back a little to look at her. Her lips were swollen, her eyes heavy lidded and dark with desire. It was all he needed to know. He walked back into the house, quickly moving through the hallway towards the staircase. He sucked in breath as she pressed her lips to his neck en let her fingers slide under the collar of his shirt to stroke his collarbone. He walked into the bedroom and tumbled onto the bed with her. He pushed the straps of her dress and bra over her shoulders. His mouth found her neck and trailed down to the top of her breasts and desperate little moans tumbled from her lips as he kissed the sensitive skin. She tugged at his shirt, slid her hands under it and up his back, taking his shirt up in the process. He sat back to take it off, dropping it on the ground next to the bed. 

Aalia reached out and placed her hand over his heart, feeling it beat rapidly against her fingers. He took her hand and brought it to his lips, the touch of his lips tender as he kissed her fingers. A warm smile came to play over her lips at the gesture. He moved in to claim her mouth again, his hands pushing up her dress to her waist as he drowned her with his kiss. He was sending her up to a place she couldn’t seem to come down from, her blood lurching wildly in her veins with every thrilling touch of his hands on her skin. And she wanted him there along with her. Her hands slid down over his back and grabbed his buttocks in a daring move. A groan escaped him as she pulled him closer towards her, cradling his hips between her thighs. 

“I need you,” she gasped when he broke the kiss to pull her dress over her head. 

Her words made his blood run hot until it roared in his head. He cupped her breasts through the material of her bra, making her arch her back. Her eyes drifted shut and she shivered violently, pressing her hips against him. Her breath came in gasps, letting him know she was just as crazed for him as he was for her. And the way she reacted, so eager, yet so innocent, made one thing very clear. He would be her first. 

His hands slid behind her back to unclasp her bra. It joined her dress and his shirt on the ground. His mouth found a nipple and she cried out as he gently teased it into a hardened bud with his teeth. 

It was exhilarating, liberating… Oh, she never wanted it to end. He rolled over the bed with her as she got rid of the rest of his clothes. She ended up on her back again with him looming over her, her mouth once again taken captive in a deep kiss. His fingers found the centre of her need and she gasped as his fingers slid inside her to drive her crazy. Aalia grasped the headboard as she felt the heat build like a tidal wave, threatening to consume her completely. She felt the fire spread as she climbed higher and higher, and then shattered with a cry. 

Trowa took her up again as he pressed kisses against her neck, lavishing her soft skin with attention. God, she was driving him absolutely mad. But he couldn’t rush, didn’t want to even. He wanted to tease, savor, leave her utterly complacent. She grabbed his shoulders with trembling hands, her voice low and husky as she begged him. _Who would have thought?_ he mused. She was here in his arms, beautiful and all woman, utterly seductive despite her innocence. He pulled back his hand and grabbed her hips. He needed to claim her as his own.

“Please…” she gasped. “Trowa, please.”

He positioned himself and filled her, trying to be gentle, to go slow. But it was in vain. Crazed, he lifted her hips until her back arched like a bow, her expression one of rapture. 

She held onto him tightly as he moved inside of her, feeling the fire start again after the initial sting, and it was stronger this time. He would leave her utterly ruined and she found herself not caring one bit. It wasn’t long before she shattered again. Her cry was joined by his groan as he too found release. He collapsed on top of her, his face buried against her throat, his breath caressing over her damp skin in a cool caress.

She held him, caressing his back gently, as their breathing slowly turned back to normal. She pressed kisses against his temple, expressing herself through touch rather then words. They didn’t need words right now. His lips trailed over the skin of her throat, and he sighed contently, before pushing himself up on his elbows to look at her. The tender look in his eyes made a lump form in her throat. 

She felt utterly safe and simply wonderful. She couldn’t resist reaching up to cup his cheeks and drew him down for a tender kiss. A small, content smile spread on her face as her hands slid down, over his shoulders, and to caress over strong arms. 

He leaned in for another kiss, just as gentle, savoring the after taste of passion. She was his now and that knowledge made his heart jump in his chest. _His_. And he’d do everything he could to keep her safe. 

He rolled off of her and took her with him, so she lay sprawled out on top of him. She snuggled into his chest and made a content sound in the back of her throat. 

“Finally,” she whispered.

He kissed the top of her head and buried a hand in her hair, keeping her close as he drifted off to sleep.

-x-x-x-

The gentle, tickling sensation of callused fingers caressing over her back drew Aalia from sleep. She was almost disappointed. “Is it morning already?” 

“Hmm.” Trowa moved in to kiss her shoulder.

She felt the heat spark again. It was amazing how her body responded to the simple touch, despite the fact that she was sore. The memories of the previous afternoon and evening were sweet. He had made love to her so many times she had forgotten the count. He had done earth shattering things to her. And in return, she had explored, tasted, reveled in the feeling of his body pressed so tightly against hers.

She turned onto her back and stretched lazily. She ran a hand over his sleep tousled hair to smooth it and smiled at him. He pressed a kiss against her forehead. 

“I have to call Quatre,” he murmured.

The bubble burst and she was back in reality. Once again she was a possibly hunted woman. The passion of yesterday seemed far away all of a sudden, more like a dream. 

“Are you going to tell him?” she asked.

“No.” He gave her a small smile. “Let’s keep it to ourselves for a little while longer, okay?” 

She smiled back, but she felt uncertain. He hadn’t said anything to her last night about how he felt towards her. His actions spoke of affection, but was it love? Because she was certain that she loved him and the idea that he might not return her feelings that way was devastating. 

He pressed a lingering kiss against her lips. “Come shower with me.”

She let him pull her out of bed and into the bathroom, where he turned on the shower and waited until the water had reached a nice temperature. He stepped under the cascade of water and she was quick to join him. He wrapped one arm around her and reached for her shampoo with his other hand. He washed her hair and bathed her body in such a gentle and tender way, it made all of her previous doubts vanish into thin air. 

There was still desire, but it could wait. He knew she needed tenderness right now, had seen that brief flash of uncertainty in her eyes. She needed reassurance and he could give her that. He rained butterfly kisses on her face, enjoying the way she felt in his arms. 

Aalia sighed and rested her head against his shoulder. He might not have said it, but his actions spoke loud enough for her to understand.

-x-x-x-

Trowa hoped that Quatre wouldn’t notice anything as he dialed the number on the vid-phone. Quatre’s perceptiveness could be a pain in the ass in situations like these. It was none’s business what went on between him and Aalia. Or at least… that was what he was trying to tell himself. He damn well knew he’d have to tell Quatre at some point. He was her brother, and she was - in some way - his ward, so Quatre deserved to know. But not yet.

Trowa made sure the line was secure and waited for his friend to pick up. Quatre’s face popped up on the screen and the worried expression on his face made tension creep into Trowa’s shoulders. There was something wrong.

“What’s wrong Quatre?” Trowa asked.

Aalia looked up from the book she was reading and promptly dropped it. She rushed to Trowa’s side in an instant and sat down next to him, her expression mirroring her brother’s. “Quatre?”

“Heero is in a pretty bad shape,” Quatre said.

“What?!? What happened?” Aalia grabbed hold of Trowa’s hand, her face paling as her brother’s words sank in.

“Duo and Heero caught up with the lead in the Razouli case. It was an assassin and he shot Heero.” Quatre tried to keep his tone calm, but his anguished expression betrayed him. “He is stable now, but his condition was really critical throughout the night.” 

“An assassin, you say?” Trowa felt his gut tighten with worry. This was bad. 

If Razouli had contacted an assassin, it could only mean one thing. He wanted Aalia dead, and didn’t care about what lengths he had to go to in order to accomplish that goal. And Heero had been caught in the cross fire.

“Did they give you any information on who this assassin might be?” Trowa asked, trying to keep his wits about him. He needed to know what he was up against.

“Wufei will call you later today.” 

“Will Heero be okay?” Aalia’s voice was small and trembled.

Trowa gazed at her in surprise and found tears running down her cheeks. “Hey now. This is not your fault, Aalia.” 

She sniffed and he was quick to wrap her up into his arms, no longer caring that Quatre witnessed it. 

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “This is… it’s awful.” 

“He’ll be fine, Aalia,” Quatre said in a reassuring tone. “He’s been through a lot worse than this.” 

“Trust me,” Trowa murmured into her hair. “I know.” 

“I’m doing what I can to help in the search for this assassin,” Quatre said. “We need to stop him. You two need to be really careful from now on.” 

“We won’t leave the house anymore,” Trowa said. “Keep me updated on your findings.” 

“I will. Take care of my sister for me.” 

Trowa gave a curt nod and Quatre broke the connection. 

“Aalia… Look at me.” 

She reluctantly drew back to do so and her eyes were still swimming with tears. Trowa cupped her cheeks and kissed her. 

“You’re safe here,” he said. “You will not worry about anything. This whole ordeal is not your doing.” 

“I can’t help but feel guilty. I don’t like people getting hurt because of me.”

A tear trailed down her cheek and he caught it with his thump. “Heero will be fine.” 

“How can you be so sure?” 

“I was the one to nurse him back to health after he self detonated his gundam.” 

“He… oh, my.” 

He gave her a wry smile. “Indeed. He is a terrible patient, so he’ll be driving the hospital staff crazy in no time.” 

She sighed. “I don’t want people to risk their lives for me. I don’t want you to risk your life.”

“I’ll do it anyway.” He pressed another kiss against her lips, just because he couldn’t resist. “I’ll do it because you’re worth it.”

She smiled at him. “Thank you.”

-x-x-x-

Damn it, Preventer was on to him. And the agents he had confronted were not the usual kind. These had been deadly lethal men, and it had been pure luck that he had been able to get a good enough shot to take one of them out. 

He’d been able to get away, and thankfully with a sliver of information on Aalia Winner’s whereabouts. Rumor had it she was hiding away on L4. His guess was in one of the many Winner estates, so that was where he’d start. It made perfect sense to him. The Winner family owned a lot of properties in the L4 colony cluster and had a habit of securing them with top of the bill security systems. It was logical to think she had went there and think herself safe.

Well… she’d discover how wrong she was soon enough…

-x-x-x-

Aalia was firing away rapidly at a target, noticing how much her aim had improved. Trowa was standing next to her, his sharp gaze focused on the target. She lowered the gun to recharge it, while Trowa intently studied the target. 

“Very good,” he said. “Impressive even.”

“You think?” she asked with a grin.

A small smirk came to play over his lips. “Your aim is pretty damn accurate.” 

She cocked her head to the side and regarded the target. “Hmm… Guess you’re right.” 

The reloading of the gun was finished, and Aalia aimed it at the target again. She fired another round of shots and grinned. Dead on center. Perfect.

She lowered the gun. “I’m back.” 

Trowa took the gun from her and engaged the safety, before yanking her in for a kiss. 

The past few days had been hard on her. She was more shaken up about Heero getting hurt than she pretended to be, and Trowa had often found himself comforting her as she crawled into his arms during the evenings. 

He was proud of her. She was so determined to become stronger and he could only support her in her trainings. 

His hands caressed her arms and Aalia shivered as heat sparked. He could set her on fire with one single touch. She knew his body now, had explored thoroughly, and knew how to make him want her. But that went the other way around as well. 

Trowa watched the flush color her cheeks a light pink. Satisfied with the effect he had on her, he let her go after pressing a kiss to the sensitive spot behind her ear. She whimpered, desire flaming hot inside of her. She was disappointed when he let her go and glared at him. He grinned at her and walked out of the room. She followed him. He would pay for that.

But when she found him in the living room, the smile left her face. He was in front of the vid-phone and she could hear Wufei’s worried tone.

“The assassin just left for L4.” 

“Fuck.” 

Aalia quickly stepped up next to Trowa and grabbed his hand. “Then he knows where we are.” 

“We’re not sure about that yet. I’m preparing to come over myself,” Wufei said. “Be on your guard. Hopefully Sally and I will be in time to catch him.” 

“Alright. Keep in touch,” Trowa said.

“We’ve got agents watching the incoming flights. This man is a professional, and both police and Preventer have been wanting to get their hands on him for years.” 

“We’ll prepare.” 

“Okay. See you soon.” 

The connection was broken and Trowa turned towards Aalia. He didn’t want her to see how worried he was, but this was a situation where he had to make sure she understood the danger she was in. He tugged her closer and pressed a kiss against her lips. 

“I want you to be very careful,” he said. “I didn’t get you out of that basement only to lose you again.”

“Only if you promise me you’ll be careful as well.” God, she wished she knew how he managed to stay so calm.

“You have my word,” he told her.

“And you have mine.” 

He pressed his mouth against hers in a deep kiss, full of desire. She murmured in approval and tossed her own desire back at him. He held her tight; there was not an inch between them. She could feel his determination to survive in the kiss. It gave her strength.

He broke the kiss and rested his chin on top of her head. She sighed and inhaled his scent deeply. “So what do we do now?” 

“Reload your gun and keep it on you at all times.” He nuzzled her hair. “We’ll stay together from now on, okay?” 

“Okay.” She stepped back and reached up to cup his cheeks. 

She didn’t have a reason to be afraid if he wasn’t, she told herself. She held onto that like it was a lifeline. 

“He’s alone and we’re a team,” he said, and tugged her in for a tender kiss. “Remember that.” 

“Hmm…” 

_I love you…_ She wished she had the guts to tell him. But right now it wouldn’t be wise to force such a distraction on him. They’d get the assassin out of the way and then there would be time to address her feelings for him. 

**\- End chapter 6 -**


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update time! Enjoy! :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing.

**For the heart I once had  
Chapter 7**

It was way past midnight when Trowa’s phone pinged and alerted him. It was the app he had installed that was connected to the mansion’s alarm system. He unlocked the screen and cursed under his breath when he saw a dark shadow moving through the main hallway at the back of the house. 

He pulled his gun from the waistband of his sweatpants and quickly called Aalia. She was quick to pick up but her voice was groggy from sleep. “What’s the matter?” 

“There’s an intruder in the house,” he said as he soundlessly crossed the kitchen. He made sure to keep his voice low, so that the intruder wouldn’t pick it up. “Get your gun and come downstairs.”

A quick check told him the intruder had moved towards the east wing. “He is in the east wing.” 

“Okay…” Aalia was up and moving. “I’ll take the stairs in the west wing to avoid him. Where are you?” 

“In the kitchen.” 

“I’m on my way.” 

Trowa hung up and checked the app again. He cursed when he noticed the intruder had moved back from the east wing and was now moving down the main hallway again. If Aalia crossed it towards the kitchen, she’d become a target for sure. He quickly texted Wufei to let him know about the situation, and then slid his phone into the pocket of his sweats. 

Trowa crossed the kitchen again and walked through the dining room and into the living room. If he used the door in the back to enter the main hallway, he’d end up behind the intruder and could take him out without alerting him. 

He narrowed his eyes and clicked the safety on his gun off. It had been stupid to go downstairs, he told himself. He’d been unable to sleep and had gone to the kitchen for some water and to sit in the quiet for some time. And now Aalia was in danger because of him. 

He pressed his back against the wall and crept along it towards the open doorway. His eyes had long since adjusted to the dark, and he froze when he caught a shadow of movement. The intruder had left the hallway and had walked into the living room. 

His heartbeat sped up, adrenaline coursing through his body as he quietly stepped forward. This man clearly was no friend, judging by the gun he held in his hands. 

Knowing he still had the element of surprise on his side, Trowa launched himself up in the air.

-x-x-x-

Aalia quietly inched down the hallway towards the staircase in the west wing. Her heart was beating a mile a minute as she moved through the darkness. The house was quiet, and the unease in her belly nearly had her knees quivering. She was terrified. 

She knew Trowa would do his best to protect her, but still her years at the cruel hands of Razouli crept up on her. She halted and pressed her back against the wall, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down. She needed to get to Trowa and it wouldn’t do any of them any good if she arrived like a frightened rabbit. She tightened her grip on her gun and noticed her hands were slick with sweat. 

_Calm… Stay calm…_

She started to descend the staircase, carefully testing each step before putting her weight onto it. She briefly allowed herself another moment when she reached the bottom, before moving down the hallway towards the main part of the house. 

Trowa had to have alerted Sally and Wufei, she guessed. The two of them had been hot on the assassin’s heels, but he had been able to evade them and had gone off radar. They had been chasing leads all over the L4 cluster the past few days. But now he was here. Aalia was sure it was the assassin and not some random burglar. It was too much of a coincidence. 

Gun at the ready, she rounded the corner and turned into the long hallway that ran down the central wing of the house. She quietly moved down the hallway towards the kitchen. Trowa had said he was there, but when she carefully pushed open the door, the kitchen turned out to be empty. 

The sound of a scuffle reached her ears and she quickly pressed herself back against the wall, squeezing her eyes shut and frantically trying to keep her breathing under control. 

But she couldn’t stop a terrified gasp from escaping as a gunshot shattered the silence in the house. It had sounded way too close for comfort. The living room…

Gathering all her courage, she pushed away from the wall and approached the open door towards the dining room. She made sure to keep her footfalls light and quiet as she crossed the kitchen, and stuck her head around the doorway. None… She swallowed thickly and inched into the dining room with wildly beating heart. Dread tied her stomach into knots. Something was not right. 

The living room was deadly silent when she stepped into it. She carefully crept through the darkness, avoiding furniture. 

She tripped over something and lost her footing, gun clattering against the hardwood as she found the ground coming up to meet her. She quickly scrambled for the gun, wrapping her trembling hands around it as she scooted back into the corner of the room. Her heart nearly stopped in her chest when she heard footsteps moving into the direction of the living room from the hallway.

Suddenly she realized that the thing she had tripped over was not a piece of furniture. The smell of blood was in the air, thick and coppery and it made her stomach roll. The panic settled for real this time when she realized that the footsteps that were coming for her weren’t Trowa’s.

She carefully moved away from the corner, crawling back towards the place where she had tripped. Tears burned in her eyes as her fingers touched the sticky wetness that pooled on the ground. The smell of blood was sickening and nearly had her retching. There was so much of it. Her mouth opened in a silent scream as she realized that she had tripped over Trowa’s body…

-x-x-x-

The assassin heard the girls breathing, labored with panic. She was sobbing, trying desperately to be quiet. Of course, he had long since heard her.  
The panic radiated off of her as he gazed around the doorpost and found her kneeling over the man’s body. 

He’d been damn lucky. This man had completely surprised him, jumping through the air as if gravity had no effect on him. He almost had not heard him move. The man’s eyes had glittered with ferocity in the darkness, and it had been clear he’d do anything to protect the girl. Well, not much had come from that.

The assassin grinned darkly and inched into the room. Idiot should have worn a kevlar vest.

Now he was dead and could do nothing to protect Aalia Winner. She was left at his mercy. He was still alive and he was going to kill the girl. Slowly, like Razouli had ordered him to do. He was looking forward to it and the prospect had his hands itching. 

-x-x-x-

Aalia scrambled away from Trowa’s body, while tears rolled down her cheeks. He was going to die and the assassin was still around. She quickly wiped at her tears, not caring if her cheeks got smeared with blood. 

She had to stop him.

The assassin entered the room with a smirk on his face, no longer caring about being quiet. His expression was terrible, as if he was looking forward to getting his hands on her. The terror clawed at her body and made her tremble to her bones, but she did her best to fight it down. She had to try and remain calm.

Realizing that he probably assumed she was unarmed, she kept her gun out of sight.

“What do you want from me?” she asked with a trembling voice.

The assassin’s smirk widened. “I’m paid to do what my clients ask. I don’t care about my victims.”

She scooted backwards against the wall when he took out a knife and held it up for her to see. It flashed cold and silver in the moonlight that fell through the windows. “I’m going to have so much fun playing around with you.”

She had to get him out of the room if she wanted to keep his attention away from Trowa. She bolted up and moved alongside the wall, back towards the dining room. He stalked her, grinning madly as he did so. He seemed to find her scrambling amusing. Gasping with panic, she made a dash for the door. She screamed when he jumped onto her and knocked her to the ground, his hands shackling around her ankles. Another scream tore from her throat when he drove his knife into her calve.

The pain was searing and she nearly lost consciousness as her body threatened to shut down. She managed to twist onto her back. She was weakened by the pain and moving her injured leg made her head spin. Stay strong, she told herself, even though she barely could get enough air into her lungs. The assassin scrambled and tried to move over her, but she managed to raise her leg and kicked him in the face. 

He cursed and a pained groan escaped her. 

He sat up and pulled his knife free from her leg, which nearly caused her to black out again. Through sheer will she managed to keep her vision steady, and aimed her gun at his head. 

“I will never let you take my life,” she hissed and fired.

His body convulsed with the impact and landed on the floor with a dull thud. Blood pooled around it and she didn’t need to check to see if he was dead.

She scrambled up and bit back a scream as pain lanced up her leg. Blood was oozing steadily from the wound, but she had to get to Trowa first. She limped over to where he lay and collapsed beside him. 

“Trowa?” She touched his cheek. 

He didn’t react. His body was stone cold and his face pale and ashen looking. She dug his phone out of his pocket and pressed the speed dial button.

Wufei answered immediately. “Trowa?” 

“No, it’s Aalia,” she managed to choke out. “Trowa is hurt.”

“Shit. We’re almost there. Can you put me on speaker?” 

Aalia did as he asked and lowered phone down on the floor. “H-he’s been shot.”

“I’m paging for an ambulance as we speak.” Sally’s voice came through the speaker. “Where’s he been shot?” 

“The chest…” 

“Shit. Is he still breathing?”

Aalia felt along de side of Trowa’s throat with trembling fingers, searching frantically for a pulse. She sighed in relief when she felt it throbbing faintly beneath her fingertips. “Yes…”

“Okay, that’s good.” Sally sounded just as relieved as she felt. “I need you to put pressure on the wound. Preferably with a piece of cloth, to stop the flow.” 

“I-” Aalia looked around frantically. One of her sweaters was hanging over the side of the couch! She bolted up to retrieve it and then knelt next to Trowa again, pressing the fabric against the bullet wound. “Okay. I got it.” 

“Good. You’re doing great Aalia.” Sally’s praise was meant to soothe, but it did little to stifle the terror and fear. 

“Please, Trowa,” she whispered on a sob. “Don’t die on me.” 

“Aalia…” 

His voice was so weak she could barely hear him over her own frantic breathing. But his eyelids were fluttering and she sound herself stifling another sob.

“I’m here.” 

“Is he…” 

“He’s gone.” 

He was still struggling to open his eyes. “Good…” 

“Try to stay awake, okay?” she pleaded with him. “Wufei and Sally are on their way.”

No sooner than she’d said it, she heard a loud cracking sound before the front door slammed open.

“Aalia?” Wufei called out. 

Running footsteps entered the main hallway.

“Over here!” she called. “In the living room!” 

She turned her attention back to Trowa and found that he had slipped into unconsciousness again. “Trowa!” 

He didn’t react to her frantic call. His body was cold and his breathing shallow. Fear squeezed like a fist around her heart. She couldn’t lose him like this!

“Please…” her voice dropped to a soft whisper as her vision swam with tears. _“I love you…”_

Wufei and Sally came racing into the living room and Sally was quick to take Trowa’s other side. 

“Aalia, you’re hurt,” Wufei said when he noticed the blood dripping onto the floor from her wound.

She wildly shook her head. “I’m fine… Take a look at Trowa first.” 

Sally pried her hands away from Trowa’s chest and lifted the sweater to check the bullet wound. “It doesn’t look like it hit anything major, but he’s loosing a lot of blood.” 

Wufei opened the first aid kit they had brought with them and made quick work of bandaging Aalia’s leg, before he helped Sally to stabilize Trowa.

“The ambulance should be here soon,” Sally reassured her.

“I-I’m so scared…” She broke all over again, tears streaming down her face as the enormity of what had happened hit her. 

“Hey.” Wufei squeezed her shoulder. “You did great. Try to breathe slowly.” 

She nodded and sniffed, wiping her cheeks on the sleeve of her shirt. She willed herself to ignore the way the fabric got tainted with blood. 

It wasn’t long before sirens could be heard outside and soon paramedics were rushing into the house. 

Sally’s face was grim as she addressed the men. “We need to move him now.”

**\- End chapter 7 -**


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve finally figured out how to work with the gigantic plot holes in the old version of the story. And now that I have some other stories out of the way, I can fully focus on this one. Woop woop!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing or its characters.

**For the heart I once had  
Chapter 8**

Aalia struggled to open heavy eyes and immediately squeezed them shut again when the bright overhead lights assaulted her vision. Her head was spinning, and her leg was throbbing faintly, but other than that she felt no pain. Her memory was hazy and she desperately tried to recall what had happened.

_Trowa…_

Her eyes shot wide open again and she struggled to sit up, only to end up being pushed back into the pillows by two strong, but gentle hands.

“Take it easy, Aalia.” It was Quatre.

His face was pale, and his eyes dark with concern. There were shadows under his eyes, telling her that quite some time had passed since her arrival at the hospital, and that her brother hadn’t slept a wink.

“Trowa…” she struggled to say, finding it hard to get her tongue to work enough for her to speak. 

“He is still in surgery,” Quatre said softly, while pushing back her hair. “How are you feeling?”

“Okay, I guess…” 

He lowered himself down on the edge of the bed and cradled her hand between his. The worried look in his eyes didn’t ease and filled her with apprehension.

“Is something wrong?” she asked.

“Why didn’t you tell me you are pregnant?” 

She lay blinking up at him, the words not yet registering. “I am _what_?” 

“Pregnant,” he said. “They discovered it when your blood results came back.” 

“Oh…” She tried to push herself up into a seated position again. “I… I didn’t know…” 

“You’re still in the early stages so it’s possible that you didn’t notice anything yet.” 

And then it sank in. Pregnant! How was that possible? Well, she knew that of course, but it shouldn’t be… She was on birth control! And Trowa…

Her vision blurred and she pressed a hand over her mouth as a sob tore from her throat. “Trowa…” 

“He is going to be okay,” Quatre assured her gently. “Hey, don’t cry.” 

“I-I’m scared.” How was she supposed to figure the situation out if Trowa… Oh God, the thought alone was devastating. 

Quatre slipped his arms around her and held her. “We’ll figure this out, okay?” 

She sniffed and nodded, glad for his presence and support. 

“You’ll be fine.” He pressed a kiss against her forehead. “You should get some more rest.” 

She wanted to shake her head, because she couldn’t go to sleep without any news on Trowa’s conditions. But her body was already betraying her. Quatre helped her settle back against the pillows, and he gave her a small smile. 

“I’ve found records on Dunya,” he said. “If you’re feeling strong enough tomorrow, you can take a look at them.” 

Aalia felt her heartbeat speed up and her eyes widened. “Really?”

Quatre smiled and nodded. “I’ll bring them with me. We could go through them together if you want.”

“I’d like that.” 

Her eyes were already drooping, and before she knew it she was drifting off. 

-x-x-x-

Trowa woke up, feeling horribly disoriented. His whole body hurt and it kind of felt felt like someone had hit him in the chest with a baseball bat. His head felt like it was going to split apart any second now… Where the hell was he? He opened his eyes, blinking rapidly to clear his vision, and looked around. He was in a hospital. Judging by the private room he was in, he probably had come out of surgery. 

Slowly, the memories came flooding back. The assassin… Was Aalia okay? He couldn’t remember anything beyond getting shot. His heartbeat accelerated, sending the heart monitor into a frenzy. He tried to sit up and groaned as his body protested against the sudden movement. The pain in his chest turned to agony. He fell back on the bed, gasping for air. 

A nurse came rushing into the room, alarmed by the change in the equipment around him. Her eyes widened in surprise.

“Mister Barton! What are you trying to do?” She rushed to his bedside as he tried to sit up again. She pushed him back on the bed. “Stay down.”

“Aalia…” he said. “Is she alright?”

“Miss Winner is fine,” the nurse said urgently. “Lie down. The doctor will be here soon.”

“I need to see her.”

“I’ll see if she is awake after the doctor has checked up on you,” the nurse promised, and relief washed over her face when he ceased his struggling.

Trowa sagged back against the pillows. Aalia was okay… He closed his eyes and sighed, even though taking that deep breath caused his chest to explode with pain. She was alive. 

His moving about had exhausted him, and he found himself fighting to remain conscious. It was difficult to keep his focus when the doctor came in to check his vitals. The nurse left and returned after the doctor was done.

She gave him a small smile. “You’ll be moved to a different room soon, and then Miss Winner can come to visit you.”

Satisfied with that knowledge, Trowa allowed himself to drift off.

-x-x-x-

Aalia nearly burst out of her room with excitement, as fast as the crutches would allow her, and hobbled through the hallway towards Trowa’s room. She would be released from the hospital later that day, as the doctor foresaw no complications. Quatre was currently getting a room ready for her to stay in at his place, and she looked forward to spending time in his company.

But the very best thing was that Trowa had woken up and had asked for her. She clutched the crutches a little tighter and picked up her pace, eager to see him. Now that Quatre was away, she had all the time in the world to talk to Trowa in private. To tell him… She had to bite down on her lip, feeling a little uncertain.

She still had no idea how he felt about her, and she didn’t want him to be with her because of a pregnancy. That wouldn’t be the right reason. She halted by the door to his room, taking a deep breath to center herself. She could do this. For a short moment, she rested a hand against her belly. The idea that she was pregnant was still a bit foreign. She didn’t feel any symptoms yet, so it was hard to wrap her head around it.

She grasped onto the door handle and opened the door, and found Trowa awake and staring at the ceiling with a blank expression on his face.

At the sound of the door opening, he turned his head, and a small smile broke out onto his face when he noticed it was her. “Aalia.” 

“Hey!” 

She made her way over to his bed, intent to sink into the chair by his side, but he snatched her hand and pulled her towards him. 

“Be careful!” she gasped in surprise as she settled on the side of the bed.

“I’m not allowed to sit up,” he groused. “The nurse said she’d strap me down if I tried one more time.” 

A nervous chuckle escaped her and she brought a hand up to cup his cheek. “You shouldn’t be so stubborn.” 

“Come here,” he practically ordered.

She smiled and moved carefully, leaning over him to press her lips against his in a chaste kiss. Trowa didn’t seem to care about being careful, as he slung his arms around her and pulled her in until she was pressed up against him. His mouth took hers again and this time the kiss lasted longer, and was full of relief and affection. 

“I’m so glad you are okay,” she said softly when she broke the kiss. “I was so scared when I found you in the living room.”

He frowned. “I don’t remember.”

She carefully rested her head against his shoulder and settled against him. “Don’t worry about it. It’s something I want to forget about too.”

He ran his hands through her hair, fingers tangling possessively in the blonde locks. “What happened to your leg?”

“He stabbed me,” she said. “I killed him…” 

He tightened his arms around her and pressed a kiss against her forehead. “I’m sorry you had to go through that on your own.”

She shook her head and propped herself up on her elbows. “No… Don’t be.”

“I shouldn’t have left you on your own…” He cupped her cheek, his eyes reflecting with regret. 

She moved in and rested her forehead against his. “We’re both okay. You’re not going to beat yourself up about this.” 

“Hmm.” His lips twitched into a small smile. 

“There is something else I need to tell you.” The nerves exploded in her belly and her heartbeat accelerated. “I’m… I’m pregnant.” 

He froze, staring up at her with wide eyes. “What? How?” 

“I don’t know. I’m on birth control, but that obviously didn’t work so well.” 

She tore her gaze away from his and tried to sit up. She didn’t want to look at him while he was so shocked. It made her feel unsure of herself. And scared. 

“So what will we do now?” she asked in a small voice.

Trowa tugged her back down and wrapped her up in his arms again, tucking her head under his chin. “We’ll figure it out, okay?” 

He didn’t sound angry, so that was a relief. 

“I’m scared,” she admitted in a whisper, while squeezing her eyes shut. 

He nuzzled her hair. “Aalia, will you look at me?” 

She reluctantly lifted her head and met his gaze, and her vision started to swim when she saw the reassurance and affection reflecting in his eyes. 

He caressed her cheek and slid his fingers into her hair, using his hold on it to pull her in for a gentle kiss. “We’ll be okay. I promise.” 

The tears rolled down her cheeks and she sobbed, giving him a watery smile. “I love you.” 

His expression softened even more and he kissed her again. “I love you.” 

Her heart threatened to burst out of her chest with joy, and she buried her face in his shoulder, too overcome to speak. He was okay and he didn’t want her to go anywhere. He loved her. She knew he would never lie about that. 

His hands caressed over her back in a gentle manner, soothing the remaining tension in her body. They would be okay.

Someone cleared his throat in the doorway, causing Aalia to bolt up. She flushed a deep crimson when she saw Quatre standing in the doorway, but Trowa was relentless when she tried to sit up properly to ensure some distance. He pulled her close to him, claiming her as his in front of her brother. Despite the fact that she was a little embarrassed, she also felt happy. Complete. 

And none was going to take that away from her again.

-x-x-x-

Mehmet Razouli was pacing in his cell. His plan had failed. He’d been moved to a maximum security facility after his contacting the assassin. And the assassin was dead. The little whore was still alive, and it was all thanks to that nameless bastard that thought he had any claim on her. Razouli’s eyes narrowed with fury. 

He’d have to make new arrangements, but it would be difficult to do it from his new prison cell. It would take time and he’d have to be patient. But wasn’t that perfect?

Let them think they were safe… And then, when they thought he’d no longer bother them, he would strike…

-x-x-x-

“So, this is what I found.” 

Quatre moved to sit next to Aalia on the sofa in his study. He presented her with a tablet, and she curiously gazed at the screen.

“Wow… this is a lot,” she said in amazement as she scrolled through the list of files. 

“It is.” Quatre’s smile was warm. “Dunya and our mother… they were best friends.” 

“That…” She had to take a deep breath. “That’s wonderful.” 

“There are pictures, letters…” 

Aalia opened the file on the top of the list. “These are your findings?” 

“Yes, I thought I’d summarize everything for you, and then you can go through each of the other files.”

“Cool.” She settled down to read, and felt her heart grow warm.

Dunya and Quaterine had been best friends since their childhood, and both had served as the maid of honor at each other’s weddings. However tragedy had struck a couple of months after Dunya’s wedding, as she and her husband got into a car accident that killed him and their unborn baby, leaving Dunya unable to have children afterwards. 

Aalia’s heart broke as she read about that devastating moment in her mother’s life. Quaterine had grieved for her friend, and when she had turned out to be pregnant with twins, she and Zayeed had decided that they wanted Dunya to adopt the girl. 

“How wonderful they were,” Aalia said softly, gazing at Quatre through the tears that clung to her lashes. “To care so much for Dunya.” 

Quatre smiled and nodded. “They were.” 

“I wished I could have met Father.” She rested her head against his shoulder, regret making her heart a little heavy. 

She continued reading. Dunya had been deeply touched by her friend’s offer. But after giving birth to the twins, Quaterine had died, leaving her friend devastated once more. Zayeed had not backed out of his promise and had insisted that Dunya adopt Aalia. Just two months after Quaterine’s death, Dunya moved to L3, presumably to start working for the Barton foundation. 

Aalia sighed as she finished reading. “I’m still curious about what she did for the Barton foundation exactly.” 

“Me too…” Quatre took the tablet from her. “Maybe Trowa can help you with that.”

“Yeah…” She allowed a grin to break out. “It will be something for him to set his teeth into, ensuring that he doesn’t move around too much while he recovers.” 

Quatre chuckled. “Good idea.” 

She smiled warmly and rested her hand on top of her belly for a moment. It was still hard for her to believe she was going to be a mother. This morning she had felt nauseous for the first time, and the queasiness hadn’t eased as the day progressed. It was the first sure sign of her pregnancy, other than the blood test results from the hospital. She was a little apprehensive at the prospect of it all, but she knew Trowa would be there for her every step on the way. 

It was something to hold on to and reassuring. She had a future and she was looking forward to it. 

**\- End Chapter 8 -**


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing.

**For the heart I once had  
Chapter 9**

Aalia was happy to snuggle up against Trowa when he came to join her in bed. His movements were stiff from lack of exercise, and the hours of traveling back to Earth hadn’t helped matters any. But they were back home, in Trowa’s apartment, and she felt incredibly happy to have him all to herself again.

The past few weeks it had been difficult to have some time alone, being surrounded by her family at the main Winner estate. Now there was time for just the two of them again, and their preparations for the future. 

“I’m so tired,” she murmured, while burying her face in his shoulder. “How are you feeling?” 

“Okay, I guess…” He rubbed his hand over the forming scar on his chest. The skin was still looking raw and tender, but he didn’t feel much pain anymore and could start working out again in a few days. 

She knew he looked forward to that. Trowa had hated being stuck in bed. She shifted so she could kiss him and smiled warmly against his lips when he tangled his hands in her hair to keep her in place. 

“Go to sleep,” he murmured against her hair when she drew back. “You need your rest.” 

“Hmm…” She lowered herself down again and got more comfortable against him. “I love you.”

His lips twitched against her forehead. “I love you too.” 

-x-x-x-

It wasn’t so hard to get adjusted to life on Earth again. Aalia picked up her studies again, and Trowa was happy to help her with her research on Dunya’s work for the Barton Foundation during the evenings. There wasn’t much to be found. The Barton Foundation had been stringent in cleaning up after themselves, and whatever information was left was either incomplete, or seized by Preventer and therefore unaccessible. 

Still, it was nice to sit with her nestled against him as they poured over the data. She seemed to be happy with the snuggling too. Her pregnancy was something the both of them were still getting used to. Trowa found it hard to imagine what life would be like with the baby, but he’d do whatever it took to ensure Aalia’s happiness. 

So, in secret, he started taking some steps to secure their future together. He started looking for a suitable house to live in, one where they could raise their child. He didn’t think about asking her to marry him yet. Their relationship was still so new, and he didn’t want to rush her. 

“Has a date been set for the court case yet?” she asked one day. 

Trowa shook his head. “No. From what I gathered, Duo and Heero stumbled upon new evidence, so the date had to be pushed back.” 

“Oh…” A frown marred the skin between her eyebrows. “And now?” 

Trowa wound a lock of her hair around his fingers. “You’re not going to worry okay? He has been transferred, and if we even get an inkling that he is planning something, he’ll be in solitary confinement until the court case starts.” 

Aalia nodded and the air left her lungs in a rush as she exhaled. “I’ll try.” 

Trowa hooked his fingers under her chin and pressed a lingering kiss against her lips. “Good.”

“But it’s not easy you know…” She admitted with a little pout. “I have not only myself to think of now.” 

Trowa found his lips twitching and he reached out to let his fingers trail over her belly. She wasn’t showing yet, but the idea that his child was growing inside of her often filled him with wonder. 

“I know,” he murmured, while pushing up her shirt so he could press a kiss against her skin. “But you’re safe.” 

She slipped her arms around his neck as he nuzzled the soft skin of her belly, and a smile formed on her face. Her eyes were warm with affection as she gazed down at him. 

“Dunya would be so happy if she knew we’ve found each other,” she said softly. 

“It’s a nice thought, isn’t it?” he agreed. 

She nodded and her smile widened. “Yeah… I miss her.” 

He took her hand and entwined his fingers with hers, squeezing gently. “She’d have been proud of you.” 

“You think?” 

“I’m certain.” 

-x-x-x-

Aalia quietly unlocked the door and tiptoed into the apartment, a giddy feeling swirling inside her stomach. She’d just returned from another shopping trip with Relena. There was a smile on her face and she practically radiated happiness. She had had the most amazing time in Relena’s company, who had dragged her all over Brussels again, resulting in an array of shopping bags that hung on her arms. 

She quietly closed the door and made her way into the living room, only to discover it empty. She glanced at the clock, as Trowa was usually home from work by now. She stood still and waited, listening for a sound.

It came when she heard the bathroom door open and close. A moment later the shower was turned on. Trowa was home. She went into the bedroom and dumped her bags in the corner, looking through them until she located the little gift she had bought him. She sat down on the bed, clutching the gift in her hands. She would wait for him.

It didn’t take long for Trowa to return from his shower. He had a towel wrapped around his hips and water droplets still clung to his skin. Aalia had to bite her lip at the gorgeous display of skin and muscles in front of her. She would never get enough of looking at him. He literally took her breath away. She eyed the forming scar on his chest. It was healing well, but there would always be a mark. 

He made his way over to her and bent down to kiss her. She smiled into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck, still holding the small present. She let herself fall backwards on the mattress and took him with her, sighing in bliss when he deepened the kiss. She put down the present and slid her hands over his back, enjoying the way his skin felt under her fingers. Trowa made a noise in the back of his throat and shivered. He broke the kiss and buried his face against her throat.

Aalia gasped when he playfully nipped her skin. She knew he was going to leave mark and she couldn’t bring herself to care. She loved when he branded her as his. 

Trowa propped himself up on his elbows to look at her, eyes darkened with desire. But he hadn’t missed that she had held something in her hand before. "What did you bring me?"

She chuckled and grabbed the present once more, and pushed it into his hands. He sat down beside her and she looked at him curiously as he opened up the present. The wrapping fell onto the sheets and she smiled as she saw the expression on his face. What she had bought wasn't really a present for him. The moment she had seen it she knew she just had to have it.

Trowa held the small plastic box in his hand. Inside was a pair of soft green baby socks. He looked up at her with a small smile on his face. Aalia smiled back and felt a tightening in her chest when she saw the raging emotions in his eyes. He was happy.

"Do you like them?" she asked softly, suddenly feeling a little shy.

He nodded and pressed a kiss against her cheek. "Yes."

She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his shoulder. "I saw them and… I just couldn’t resist!"

He chuckled and held her, nuzzling her hair. "We’ll have to buy a lot more stuff for the baby."

"I know… we could turn the guest room into a nursery."

"No."

"Why not?" She pulled back to look at him, a questioning look on her face.

"Let me get dressed and I'll tell you."

She was forced to let go of him when he got up. He handed her the box with the socks and walked over towards the closet. Aalia willed herself to look away from him when he dropped the towel and started putting on clothes. She busied herself with opening the plastic box and took the tiny socks out. The fabric was incredibly soft and she rubbed one sock against her cheek. Her baby would wear them…

She blinked against the tears that suddenly came up. She rested her hand on her still flat stomach. Her baby… She couldn't stop the tears anymore and the rolled down her cheeks.

Trowa looked at her in alarm when she sobbed. "Aalia?"

He made his way over to the bed while pulling on a t-shirt. He knelt down in front of her and cupped her cheek. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…I’m just so happy," she laughed through her tears. She reached up and wiped at her cheeks, sniffling awkwardly. "What did you want to tell me?"

"Right…" He helped her to her feet and took her with him into the living room.

She hadn't noticed the newspaper on the dining table before, but now she did. He pulled the newspaper towards them and pointed to an ad. "I found us a house."

Aalia's eyes widened. "You… you're serious?"

He grinned at her. "Yes."

She looked at the ad. It was a house for a family, with a garden… in a child friendly neighborhood. There was a picture of the house in the ad as well. She sighed dreamily. It was perfect, cozy, lovely.

"What do you think?"

"That it's perfect." She gave him a bright smile and kissed his cheek.

Trowa wrapped his arm around her. "Great. Then we can go check it out and make a bid on it."

-x-x-x-

Trowa made his way to Commander Une's office in a hurried pace. There was a frown on his face as he moved down the corridor. Une’s tone had been worried when she had called him, but she had refused to tell him over the phone what was bothering her.

He barged into her office and found her on the phone, barking down the line furiously. “Get it done now!” 

She slammed her phone down and looked up, gesturing for him to sit down. “We’ve run into some trouble.” 

Trowa sank down in one of the chairs in front of her desk. Some gut feeling told him he was not going to like what she had to say. 

“Razouli has tried to contact someone outside of prison again.” Une rubbed her temples and sighed. “The call didn’t go through, so we’re very lucky on that. He has been placed into solitary confinement.”

“Good,” Trowa said.

“We can’t risk Aalia Winner’s life. I’ve made arrangements for her to go into witness protection.” 

Trowa’s hands clasped the edge of his chair in a white knuckled grip as he fought to contain the numb feeling that spread in his chest. He tried to keep his focus, but it was damn hard with the rushing sound in his ears. 

“What?!? You can’t.” 

“It’s just for a few months, until the court date,” Une said pragmatically. 

“This is my woman you’re making decisions about!” Trowa snapped. “She’s pregnant!” 

“All the more reason to do this.” It was obvious she wasn’t fazed by his anger. "Trowa, I don't want to put her in unnecessary danger. And neither do you."

"But you can't just go and arrange things without me knowing about it!” He was more than angry now. He was furious. 

“I’m telling you now. I’m sorry, but I see no other way to guarantee her safety.” 

Trowa got up and started pacing. Damn it! He had faced greater challenges, more dangerous situations than some criminal locked behind bars who wanted revenge. And yet he felt so powerless. He couldn’t protect Aalia. His body was still recovering and not strong enough, and she couldn’t protect herself without risking the baby. Heero was back on track with working out, but Trowa knew he couldn’t ask his friend to risk his life again like that.

“Until the court date,” he said, laying down his ultimatum. “Not a day longer.” 

Une gave him a small smile and nodded. “I’ll see to it.” 

He had no other choice. _He’d have to let her go…_

**\- End chapter 9 -**


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing.

**For the heart I once had  
Chapter 10**

Aalia looked up from her study books when Trowa came barging into the living room. There was a smile on her face, but it disappeared when she saw the look on his. "Trowa? Is something wrong?"

"Hey," he said softly, while approaching her.

He took her hand and pulled her out of her seat, wrapping her up in his embrace. Confusion swirled in her stomach when he buried his face in her hair and sighed. 

“What’s the matter?” she asked while sliding her arms around his neck. “Why are you home so early?” 

“I got to go home early,” he murmured into her hair, then cupped her cheeks and made her look at him. “There’s…”

“Hmm?” She gave him a small smile and rose up on her toes to kiss him.

“There’s something I need to tell you.” 

He took her hands and led her to the couch, where he made her sit next to him. 

“Razouli is determined to keep coming after you it seems,” he said.

“Oh…” Her eyes clouded with the implication. “Does that mean we have to go into hiding again?” 

“No.” He swallowed visibly. “I’m in no condition to protect you yet and I don’t want to put you and the baby in any danger.” 

“But staying here…” she started to say, then fell silent at the anguish in his gaze.

“Une has arranged for you to go into witness protection.” 

She stared at him, dumbfounded. Until the information sank in. “What?”

“It’s just for a couple of months, until the court date.” 

“Y-you mean… I have to leave?” She questioned, her eyes going wide. “No!” 

“I’m sorry, Aalia.” He pulled her into his arms again and buried his face into her hair. "I swear… If there had been another option I'd taken it. No matter how hard we try, he’ll keep coming after you."

A dry sob tore from her throat. “How long will I have to hide?” 

“I don’t know. We’re busy rounding up the investigation and then we can apply for court.” 

“But it could take… months…” _Years even._ “Oh God.” 

Her tears soaked his shirt as she buried her face into his shoulder. She’d have to be on her own and she had no idea if she could do that without Trowa to support her. 

“I promise you, we’ll work as fast as we can.” He cupped her cheeks, and wiped away her tears. “It’s just a couple of months.”

She took a deep breath and nodded. She’d have to be strong. And Trowa was right, it was just a couple of months. But they were crucial months, in which her belly would grow round, and he wouldn’t be there to witness it. 

"How long do we have until I have to leave?" she asked.

"Until tomorrow morning."

She bit down on her lip and more tears rolled down her cheeks. She sobbed and buried her face in his, wailing with frustration and anger. "I hate him!"

He caressed her hair and back, trying to soothe her. "I swear… I'll make him pay for this."

She tightened her arms around him and shook her head. "Don't go getting yourself in trouble. It's not worth it."

But what was life worth if Razouli remained in the picture?

-x-x-x-

Aalia woke from a restless slumber. Judging by the dim light that filtered through the curtains, it was still early. Her stomach felt a little queasy, so she turned over on her back and tried to breathe through the nausea. It took a while, but eventually her stomach calmed enough for her to turn towards Trowa. 

Even in sleep his face showed the anguish they both felt over the forced separation. He’d tried to hide it from her the previous evening, but it was clear the whole situation hurt him too. It had been apparent the way he had kissed her, and in the way he had held her as he had made lover to her so tenderly. The night had been a combination of passion and tears, and neither of them had gone to sleep until the early morning hours. 

She’d wanted to hold on to him for as long a possible, but all too soon their time together would come to an end. But it was just for a couple of months, she told herself. It would be good for her self esteem and confidence to do this, even if being alone scared her. 

She didn't want anyone to risk their life for her again. The witness protection program was the only choice she had. She sighed and snuggled closer to Trowa, pressing her lips against his chest to wake him up with gentle and teasing kisses. She'd make the best of the last moments she would have with the man she loved.

-x-x-x-

Trowa sighed and handed the last bag with Aalia's stuff to the ESUN agent in charge of Aalia’s case. He would get her a new identity and help her get settled in, and Trowa would contact him when Aalia could come back. 

Duo was sprawled out on the couch in his living room, as the both of them would dive into the Razouli case right after. Trowa was glad for Duo’s insistence of being there during the day. It would give him a distraction, keep his mind on the case. 

Aalia reached for his hand and curled her fingers around his. She was trying so hard to be strong, but he could see she was at the verge of breaking. He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. He buried his nose in her hair and breathed in deeply, branding the scent of her in his memory. 

“I love you,” she whispered.

He cupped her cheek and kissed her, and felt her tears on his fingers when they rolled down her cheeks. “I love you,” he murmured back. 

She attempted a small smile. “See you in a few months.” 

“Hmm.” He rested his hand against her belly for a moment. “Take care of yourself for me?” 

She nodded and stepped back. 

The agent came walking back into the living room. “Miss Winner, if you are ready to go, we’ll take our leave.” 

She bit her lip and nodded, leaning in to kiss Trowa once more. _Just a few months,_ he told himself again as he gathered her close for a last embrace. She burrowed in his shoulder and he felt her tremble as he held her. 

“Good luck with getting everything ready for the court case,” she said bravely, even if her voice trembled just like the rest of her. 

“And you be strong.” 

She pulled back and smiled. She was trying so hard, and he could only admire her for it. She turned away and trailed after the ESUN agent as he led the way out of the apartment. She gave him a last lingering look over her shoulder and then the door fell shut behind her.

Trowa collapsed back in the arm chair and buried his face in his hands. “Fuck.”

Duo’s hand came to rest on his shoulder and squeezed, empathetically. “She’ll be fine.”

“I know,” he said. “That doesn’t mean I have to like it.” 

“No,” Duo said. “Come on, let’s get to work. It’ll keep your mind off things.”

They settled at the dining table, and dove into the case. Duo proved to be a good distraction, and they managed to round up a couple of their file folders before the end of the afternoon. Duo stuck around for dinner, for which Trowa was glad. 

But when his friend left, he was alone. There was a horrible empty feeling in his stomach, and his thoughts were almost too loud in his head. He poured himself a drink, slamming back the vodka in one go. It was the coward’s way, he knew, but he just had to get through that first night. 

His woman and his child were gone and he hated the thought of not knowing where she was or how she was doing. 

He stumbled to the bedroom and collapsed face forward on the bed. Something on Aalia’s pillow caught his eye, and he reached for it, and he nearly fell apart when he discovered it was one of the soft green baby socks she had bought.

She had left him one. 

Christ, they hadn’t even had the time to get her first ultrasound taken together. The sock was the only tangible reminder of what they had created together. When she came back… her belly would be round. A small smile came to play over his face.

He was looking forward to it. 

He held onto that thought like a lifeline as he drifted off into slumber.

-x-x-x-

“I have the statements from the other witnesses here.” Heero dropped a file onto the table in the meeting room that he, Trowa, and Duo had claimed to work on their case. 

They were going through all the gathered evidence again, looking for little things they might have missed. Trowa was adamant at having a watertight case, and the others had his back on that. The sooner Razouli was dealt with, the sooner Aalia could come back. 

Trowa poured over Aalia statements again. Reading her words, despite the horrific content of her statements, gave him a feeling peace. It made him feel like she was still with him and not in some remote location where nobody knew her real name or who she really was. 

Had already been four weeks since she had left?

Four weeks of sleeping alone, four weeks of not seeing her smile. How was she feeling? He was dying to know, to see her, hear her voice. He wanted to wrap her up in his arms and bury is nose in her hair, to drown in that enticing scent that clung to the blond locks. 

His friends were helpful enough, often staying over at his apartment or inviting him to theirs. It wasn’t unusual for them to pour over the case during the evening hours as well. Trowa was determined to prove that Razouli had hired the assassin and add those findings to the existing case. If they could add that to the case, he’d probably get a life sentence without parole, to the top security prison in Vught in the Netherlands. That was their goal. 

He looked up when Duo put a cup of coffee down next to him. “Thanks.” 

“You’re welcome,” Duo said cheerfully, while taking his seat again.

Trowa leaned back in his chair, rolling his shoulders as he did so to get rid of the tension in them. He caught Heero looking at the file folder in his hands, and raised an eyebrow in question.

“You’ve read her statements a hundred times already.” 

“I know.” 

Duo rested a comforting hand on Trowa’s shoulder and grinned at Heero. “Trowa is just pining a little.” 

Trowa scowled at Duo. “I’m not pining.” 

“Sure you’re not.” Duo chuckled and grabbed a folder from the pile they still had to go through and shoved it into Trowa’s hands. “Give me the other one.” 

Trowa reluctantly handed over the folder to Duo and sighed. “Fine.”

Duo just grinned at him and turned his attention back to his own folder. Trowa prepared to dive into the new folder, but he caught Heero smirking at him from across the table.

“Not a word.” 

“I’m not saying anything,” Heero countered dryly.

Trowa shook his head, his spirits lifted a little at his friends’ antics, and went back to work. 

-x-x-x-

It was three weeks later that his world came crashing down. 

Trowa had pulled himself through the days as best as he could, and they were booking success on the court case. The investigation was rounded up, the reports turned in to the ESUN attorney, and a date had been set for the first hearing. Six more weeks and he would see Aalia again. 

In the hours after work he’d been busy trying to secure the house he had set his sights on. It was a good distraction, getting all the paperwork ready, and having meetings with the bank. If everything went according to plan, he could sign the contract within a week. 

He might have the house ready before Aalia’s return.

He was whistling to himself as he walked down the hallway at Preventer Headquarters. He found Wufei waiting in front of his office, along with an unfamiliar dark haired woman in a grey business suit. The badge on her jacket declared her a visitor, and that was rather unusual. They never had visitors over without an appointment. 

“Wufei,” he said as he reached his office, fishing his keys out of his pocket to unlock the door. 

“This is Agent Hauff from the ESUN’s Secret Service,” Wufei introduced the woman. “She is in charge of the witness protection program.” 

Trowa frowned and opened the door to his office. He had a sense of foreboding that he was not going to like whatever the woman had to say. 

Agent Hauff entered his office, followed by Wufei, who closed the door behind him. 

“You better sit down.” 

Those word made him pin the woman in front of him with a glare. “What’s going on? Is Aalia okay?” 

The woman seated herself, and Wufei grasped Trowa’s arm, dragging him over to his desk and forcing him to sit down in his office chair. 

“I am afraid I have some bad news,” Agent Hauff began. “As far as we can tell Aalia Winner is safe.” 

“As far as you can tell?” Trowa asked cynically. His heart was beating a mile a minute in his chest and it felt as if a stone had settled in his stomach.

“Agent Simmons, who was in charge of her case has been killed two days ago.” 

Trowa blinked and sagged back in his chair, feeling relieved at her words. Aalia was okay. “So, what has this to do with Aalia?”

“Agent Simmons is the only one who knew about Miss Winner’s whereabouts.” Agent Hauff looked utterly unhappy with the information she was revealing. “He never put her records into our system.” 

Trowa felt all color drain from his face, and a terrible rushing sound filled his ears. “You mean… you don’t know where she is?” 

Agent Hauff solemnly shook her head. “No. I’m afraid we don’t.” 

**\- End chapter 10 -**


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s been a bit of a struggle to write the final chapters, as this was the part of the story that needed to be rewritten almost completely. The old version had many gaps in the plot that didn’t make any sense. LOL. 
> 
> Enjoy! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing.

**For the heart I once had  
Chapter 11**

Trowa very much wanted to drive his fist through a wall. Punch the living daylights out of someone. The need for violence was near overwhelming, thrumming in his blood until his skin was vibrating with it. 

Duo and Wufei dragged him to the gym for a work out, and they were pretty soon joined by Heero. Blowing off some steam in the company of his friends worked some. He felt a bit more clearheaded afterwards, more like himself.

But the rage and helplessness didn’t subside. 

He’d lost Aalia. 

The knowledge was bitter, a nasty taste in his mouth. He rarely lost control of his temper, but he was damn close to snapping know. How could such a mistake have been made? Quatre had been livid when the news had reached him, and Trowa knew he would sue the ESUN for this. And knowing Quatre, he would go to great lengths to get his message across. 

Heero had promised to dive into Aalia’s case in an attempt to locate her, and Trowa could do nothing more but prowl up and down his apartment restlessly, while Heero worked at the dining table. Duo and Wufei were busy in the kitchen, preparing dinner. 

In an attempt to calm himself down, Trowa sat down in the arm chair and buried his face in his hands, taking a deep breath.

“As long as we don’t know where she is,” he said, more to calm himself. “Razouli doesn’t know either.” 

“True,” Heero agreed, sounding distracted. 

“Should have gone after that bastard. Then we wouldn’t have had this situation.”

Heero smirked. “But that would have ended with you in prison.” 

They both looked up when they heard the doorbell ring. 

Trowa got up and went to open the door, and blinked up at Rashid. The giant gave him a jovial greeting and barged into his apartment. Trowa had always thought his place was spacious, but the place seemed to shrink in size, until it was dwarfed by Rashid’s presence.

“I’m here to help you,” he said in his deep voice. 

“We can use any help we can get,” Duo quipped as he emerged from the kitchen, steaming plates in his hands. 

“Is that edible?” Heero inquired. 

“Fuck you, Heero,” Duo said with a grin, while putting a plate down in front of him. 

“I made sure of it,” Wufei supplied with a smirk as he handed Trowa a plate. “There’s plenty more.” 

Rashid nodded in gratitude and accepted the other plate that Wufei was holding. 

“Master Quatre doesn’t know that I’m here,” he said while taking a seat at the dining table as well. “I want to know everything.”

It took some time explaining the whole situation and Rashid sat listening in silence, looking deep in thought. When silence fell, he gave a single nod and got up. 

“I’ll see what I can do,” he said, and promptly left the apartment. 

Duo sat staring after him with wide eyes. “Was that weird?” 

Heero gave a shrug. “Could be that he is not telling us because his idea might be incriminating.” 

“You think?” Wufei sounded skeptical.

“We all know the Maganac go to great lengths for Quatre and his family.” 

“True,” Trowa said. 

They had no choice but to sit back and wait.

-x-x-x-

Weeks passed, and the court date approached. They had hit a dead end in their search for Aalia. The ESUN attorney was confident that Aalia statements provided in their records would be enough, and that they could win the case without her testifying in person. There was enough evidence of Razouli’s criminal activities, his involvement with the Barton Foundation, and his connection to the assassin sent after Aalia. 

The hours in court were long and tiring, but Trowa was there for every session, months on end. Razouli had the nerve to be smug about the fact that Aalia wasn’t there. The ESUN’s little mistake had not gone unnoticed. But Trowa looked back, just as smugly, because as the sessions dragged on, there was no denying that Razouli was guilty of all charges. It was damn satisfying to hear the final sentence. Razouli would spend the rest of his days in the maximum security prison in Vught, without any chance of parole. 

But none of that satisfaction remained when Trowa returned to his empty apartment. Aalia should have been there, and their child as well. He sighed to himself as he fished the baby sock from the pocket of his slacks. Their child should have been born by now and Trowa was dying to know if it was a boy or a girl. 

He had let go of the house he had tried to secure. There was no use in buying it if he didn’t have his family to share it with. 

They had done all they could in trying to locate Aalia’s whereabouts, but she was well hidden. The ESUN’s witness protection program was top notch, and they hadn’t only the Earth to look at. Aalia could just as well be in the colonies. The biggest problem was that they had to be subtle about their search. Razouli was behind bars and secured, but they were still careful. They had no way to warn Aalia if word got out that they were looking for her. She wouldn’t know if danger came her way. 

It was maddening. 

Relena had brought the situation to light in some of the ESUN debates, and Agent Hauff had been brought into the senate to explain how such mistakes had been made. She had profusely apologized, but that didn’t change the fact that Aalia was missing. 

The apologies were empty. 

Trowa retrieved a beer from the fridge and plopped down on the couch unceremoniously. He toasted to the air and took a swig from his bottle. He sighed when his cellphone started ringing and fished it out of his pocket. 

It was Catherine. He needed to hear her voice, her quiet support, so he picked up.

“Hey,” he said, while leaning his head back against the couch. 

“Hey, how did it go?” 

“As expected,” he said. “Sentenced to life in prison.”

“Good. I wish I could say congratulations, but it doesn’t feel right.” Her voice filled with concern and empathy. 

“No,” he agreed quietly. “It doesn’t.” 

“How is the search going?” 

He grimaced. “Still at a dead end.”

“Oh, Trowa…” She sounded as if she was on the verge of tears. “I wish there was anything I could do to help you.”

“It helps that you’re listening,” he assured her. 

“It doesn’t feel like it’s enough.” 

“It’s more than enough.” 

“Why don’t you come over? We’re in Berlin right now, so it’s not that far.” 

He contemplated it for a moment. “Sure, why not.” 

It was a distraction, and although Catherine would probably meddle and balk at the way he way he was handling the situation, he needed her company. He’d arrange everything at work and drive there. It sounded perfect. Well, not perfect, but it would uplift his spirits a little. 

“I’ll let you know when I can come over,” he promised her.

“It’ll be good to see you.” He could hear the smile in her voice as she spoke. “Everyone misses you.” 

He felt a tiny smile tug at his lips. There were times when he missed his life at the circus. After the war he had worked there for a couple of years, but then Duo and Heero had joined Preventer when new terrorist activities had risen to light. It had only felt natural for Trowa to join as well. But sometime, and now more often than not, he missed the flurry of activity, the camaraderie within the circus crew, the laughter and banter. 

Yeah, it would be a good distraction. 

-x-x-x-

It was a few weeks later that Comander Une called Trowa into her office. When he arrived, he found Wufei, Duo, and Heero already seated at the long table that she used for meetings. Une directed him towards the table as well, and as Trowa sat down, he felt the tension in the room mount. What was going on?

Une closed the door and approached the table, placing her hands on the smooth mahogany surface, while looking each of them in the eye. She kept her lips pressed together in a thin line, telling Trowa that she was displeased with them in some way. 

Trowa didn’t have an inkling of what this could be about.

Duo was the first to break the tense silence. “Any reason why you called us in here, Ma’am?” 

Une inhaled sharply through her nose, her expression stern. “Mehmet Razouli has been found dead in his cell.”

In the silence that followed, Trowa, Wufei, Heero, and Duo all looked at each other. 

“Dead?” Trowa questioned. “How?” 

“We don’t know yet,” Une said. “I’m waiting for the forensics report.”

“And we’re here because?” Wufei inquired.

“Considering you four were the agents working on his case, and Agent Barton’s involvement with Aalia Winner, naturally suspicion falls upon you.” 

“Upon us?” Wufei asked, his tone cool. “Why?” 

“We have nothing to do with it,” Duo muttered. 

“I’m not saying you have,” Une snapped coolly. “But I have already received inquiries from the ESUN senate about the possibility of your involvement.” 

There was a knock on the door and Une broke away from the table to open it. All four of them shot to their feet when Quatre stepped into the room, followed by a tall blonde woman that Trowa recognized as Aamira Winner, the family lawyer.

“You called Ma’am?” Quatre asked politely, but his eyes pinned her in place with steely resolve.

“Yes,” Une made a gesture towards the table. “Have a seat.” 

Quatre and Aamira took their seats at the table, and the tall woman spoke up as she opened her laptop. “I will represent all five of these men in this.” 

“There’s not even a case yet,” Une bristled.

“No, but you implied that suspicions of these men’s involvement has already risen.” Aamira gave her a cool look. “I’d like to be prepared well.” 

“Fine.” Une took her seat at the head of the table. “Let’s go through this and make sure that all of you have a water tight alibi.” 

Three hours later, the five men left the office, Aamira in their company. Each off them was feeling various degrees of frustration, but Aamira and Une were both confident that neither of them was in trouble or had anything to do with Razouli’s death. 

But now the question had arisen: _who_ was responsible?

“This just gets weirder and weirder,” Duo grumbled. “But… Now that he is dead, we can really kick up the search for Aalia.”

Quatre smiled at Trowa. “I have already arranged for a team of private investigators to help us.”

“Thanks,” Trowa said, and felt tension slide off his shoulders.

Duo was right. The danger that Razouli posed to Aalia, was gone. They could openly start searching for her. And they would find her. 

Trowa wouldn’t rest until they did.

**\- End Chapter 11 -**


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing.

**For the heart I once had  
Chapter 12**

Razouli’s death was a mystery. It seemed he had collapsed on the spot, and the forensics report came back negative on toxins. But was it natural causes then? Razouli had been a relatively healthy man. Heart failure didn’t seem like a likely option, but it was the only rational explanation for his death. 

None of the former Gundam Pilots were allowed in on the investigation. Not bothered in the slightest, the five men worked together to locate Aalia. Now that the threat of Razouli was out of the way, they could openly search for her.

For the first time in a year, Trowa felt hopeful.

He was going to find her. Some gut feeling told him it was going to work out. Even so, they made slow and little progress as they searched through countless data banks. The interviews with Agent Simmons’ colleagues were downright frustrating. No, they didn’t know where Agent Simmons had taken Aalia, and no, they had no idea if there were any external hard drives on which he had kept information. 

Trowa told himself he was making an effort and that counted for something. 

And then Agent Hauff showed up with a tiny bit of information. 

“I have stumbled upon hospital records that fit the description of Miss Winner,” she announced as she seated herself in the chair in front of his desk. 

Quatre straightened in his own seat behind the spare desk they had placed into Trowa’s office. “You have news.” 

She nodded and gave a hint of a smile, that somewhat softened the stern appearance. “Your daughter was born on L3.” 

A daughter… Trowa exhaled and nearly doubled over when he felt Quatre’s hand land on his shoulder. He had a daughter…

“You’re sure it was Aalia?” 

“I’m sure. The ID she provided at the hospital was the one we issued for her for this particular use.”

“It’s not possible to track her on the other ID?” Quatre asked.

Agent Hauff shook her head. “No. She had specific instructions to use this ID only in the hospital, so that the hospital staff would know who to contact in case of an emergency. The other ID is not in our data base.” 

“If she went to a hospital in L3 to give birth, she might still be in the area. It narrows our search down,” Trowa said when he finally managed to find his voice. 

“It’s still going to be tough,” Quatre grumbled. “L3 has quite a few colonies.” 

“We’ll find her.” Trowa was more determined than ever to succeed. 

A daughter… He allowed a tiny smile to form on his face. Did she look like Aalia? What was her name? His heart gave a little thud in his chest as he imagined a little girl with blonde wavy hair like her mother. She’d be about five months old now. 

He didn’t allow himself to dwell on all the things he’d already missed. He would get to meet her. And then he’d be there every step on the way. 

-x-x-x-

Aalia sighed as she closed the door of her apartment, feeling tired and weary. She pushed the stroller into the living room and focused on the babbling baby in it. It was hard to look at her child. The girl had Trowa's eyes. 

It was hard to be alone, but it was a fact she had come to live with. Not once, in all those months after she had left, Trowa had contacted her. She wanted, desperately, to believe that he hadn’t abandoned her. That it probably still wasn’t safe to come back. But on days like these, a little, nagging voice in the back of her head told her he hadn’t wanted her after all. 

She bit her lip as she felt tears come up. She didn't want to do this alone.

The women around here all stared at her when she walked by with the stroller. They talked about her. Being a single mother here almost seemed like a crime, and Aalia often caught the women whispering about her as she walked over the market to buy groceries. She hated it here. The colony was rather small in comparison to the others in the cluster, and her days were dull. Quatre had ensured there was enough money for her to live off before she had gone into the witness protection, so she didn’t need to get a job and could fully focus on her baby. With her lack of social contacts on her, her world had become rather small, but it had its pros too. She had become strong on her own.

She wouldn't move. She would wait for Trowa to find her.

If he still wanted her. 

She lifted her child out of the stroller and held her. The baby shifted in her arms and grinned up at her.

"Hey there, pretty girl," Aalia said softly.

She nuzzled the baby's cheek to avoid looking at her eyes. It hurt. She loved her baby; she just couldn't look at her eyes sometimes. It reminded her too much of happier times…

"Please, Trowa…" she whispered. "Come for me soon."

-x-x-x-

Quatre hung up the phone with a sigh and shook his head. Still nothing. Heero had tried to hack into Agent Simmons personal data bases, but he had been unsuccessful. No records of Aalia were in there. Trowa and Wufei had started running checks on the citizen registration offices on L3. The first three colonies, starting with the one that held her hospital records, hadn’t given them any information on a woman that fit Aalia’s description. 

The search was tiring, but they weren’t giving up now. Quatre had a feeling they were very close to a break through. 

He rubbed his hands over his face and looked up when the door to his office opened, and Rashid came walking in.

“Rashid!” Quatre was on his feet the next instant, approaching the tall man with a smile on his face.

It had been a while since the last time Quatre had seen him. Rashid gave him a warm smile and clapped him on his shoulder. “How are you doing, Master Quatre?” 

“I’m good! Have a seat!” 

As always it was near comical to see Rashid fold himself into one of the comfortable chairs in front of Quatre’s desk. His presence always made the room seem smaller, and the furniture as if it belonged in a doll house. 

“I’ll call for coffee.” Quatre hurried towards the door to give the instructions to his assistant, before seating himself behind the desk again. 

Before long, they were deep into a discussion on Aalia’s whereabouts. Rashid was offering to sent the Maganacs into the colonies to look for her, but it was something Quatre didn’t want to do yet. 

“We’re not sure if Razouli had any contacts looking for her.” 

“He didn’t.” Rashid gave a little smirk. “I made sure of it.” 

Quatre sat staring at the tall man in shock, then deflated and sagged back in his chair. “You killed him.” 

“From what I gathered he died of a heart attack.” Rashid’s tone was casual enough, but his eyes were gleaming.

“How?” 

Rashid smirked. “That is something I will take with me to the grave.” 

Quatre shook his head. “You cannot be serious.” 

It took a long time for the feeling of shock to dissipate. Even hours after Rashid had left, Quatre’s mind was still reeling. But of one thing he was sure. If Rashid said he had taken care of things, there weren’t any other people on the loose searching for his sister. 

She was safe. And when they would find her, she would remain that way.

-x-x-x-

"Look at her…"

Aalia rolled her eyes, irritated by the gossiping of the women in the store. It seemed to be getting worse by the day. She packed up her groceries and pushed the stroller outside. The baby was making gurgling noises, happily waving one of her bite rings about. Aalia allowed a small smile to form. Her daughter was so beautiful with her sweet smile and innocent eyes. Looking at her made the gossip in the store seem like a little inconvenience. 

She walked back to the apartment through the park, enjoying the weather, even though it was artificial. She missed Earth’s natural weather, the unpredictable nature of it. She desperately hoped that she would get to witness it again soon. 

Thoughts of Trowa flooded her mind once more, and she had to stop walking and blink back her tears. She had to be strong. Strong for herself, and for her daughter. She had promised him that, hadn’t she? And she had come so far already. Here she had to rely on herself, face her trauma’s and demons on her own, because Trowa wasn’t here to guide or comfort her.

She had become independent. It was something to be proud of.

She resumed her way to her apartment. A poster stapled to a tree caught her attention. A traveling circus had just arrived on the colony and their first show would be that night. She smiled slightly to herself. She would go. A little bit of distraction was always good.

-x-x-x-

"We’re on L3 now, so why don't you come over for a while?”

Trowa sighed. “I don’t know. Should I? We’re still working on going through the databases.” 

Catherine bristled. “You can do that here just fine. And if you have a lead, it will be much easier to trace it.” 

Trowa remembered the last time he had visited the circus, and Catherine’s concerned hovering. While he normally didn’t mind, it had been a bit overwhelming. But, in a way, she was right. He would be close by in case a lead did come up. 

"Alright, I'll come over," Trowa said. He could book the ticket for the evening flight if he was quick.

"Great." He could hear the smile in her voice. "So… You'll call me later?"

"I will."

He hung up after saying goodbye. With a sigh he sat down on the couch and leaned his head back against the backrest. He took the baby sock out of his pocket and stared at it. He had held it so many times in the past few months. The fabric was still soft, but by now his daughter wouldn’t fit them anymore. A small smile came to play over his face. He was going to L3. He still had enough vacation hours left and if he combined it with working there, he could stay on the colonies for an extended period of time. 

_Aalia… I’m going to find you._

-x-x-x-

Aalia wandered around the cages with her daughter in her arms, watching her react to the animals with excited squeals and enthusiastic babbling. She was squirming in her hold, reaching little hands towards the cage’s bars.

Aalia eyed the lion in the cage with a mingling of fear and respect. “We can’t go closer.” 

Her daughter giggled and squirmed in her hold once more. 

“No, we’re not doing that.” Aalia chuckled and shifted the child’s weight towards her hip. Visiting the circus grounds had lifted her spirits a little and her child had picked up on her approved mood, her antics more bubbly and entertaining than usual. “That lion might eat you, you know.”

“I’m pretty sure he won’t,” said a kind and warm female voice behind her.

Aalia turned towards the woman standing behind her. She was slender and very pretty, with bright blue eyes and brown hair that curled around her face. She was dressed in jeans and a thin sweater, looking very much at ease. It was obvious she was part of the circus crew. 

“She just loves all the animals,” Aalia said, while gesturing towards the child still babbling excitedly in her arms. 

“I can see that.” The woman smiled brightly and stepped closer. “Did you enjoy our show?” 

Aalia nodded. “I did. Very much actually.” 

“That is nice to hear.” The woman directed her warm smile at the child. “I always think it is nice for children to witness the magic of the circus from a very young age.” 

“Yeah…” 

“I’m Catherine, by the way,” the woman introduced herself, while holding out her hand.

Aalia shook it and nearly blundered when she had to introduce herself. “I’m A-Anna.” 

Give the fact that she was treated like a pariah by the locals, she never had to use her new name that often. 

The baby squealed and reached towards Catherine with a mischievous smile on her face. “Daaa!” 

Aalia gave a shy smile. “She wants you to hold her.” 

“My!” Catherine chuckled and scooped the child out of her arms. “Aren’t you pretty?”

The baby reached for the woman’s brown curls and buried her fingers in it.

Catherine smiled warmly. She love children and often doted on the circus crew’s offspring, pampering baby’s with knitted blankets and stuffed animals, telling the older ones stories and teaching them how to tend to the circus animals. It came natural to her to hold a child.

The baby looked up at her and Catherine had to suppress a gasp. The baby's eyes were a deep green and nearly made her do a double take. She knew those eyes! She looked at Anna again. But this woman could not be the woman Trowa was looking for... Right? He had described Aalia as a blonde, and this woman’s hair was brown.

"You have very pretty eyes," Catherine told the child in her arms.

She saw Anna shift and bite her lip. "She has, hasn't she?"

There was so much pain in the young woman's voice that Catherine started to doubt her own judgment. Maybe her hair had been died brown? Was it possible? 

Hope made her heart skip a beat. She had to make this woman come back to the circus! Trowa would arrive in the afternoon. He had to see for himself.

"Why don’t you come back to tomorrow’s show? I can get you some tickets," Catherine said to Anna. "If you come by afterwards my brother can introduce you to the lion."

"Oh…" Anna seemed to hesitate.

"I insist!" Catherine smiled at her.

She handed her back the child and mentioned her to follow her to her trailer. Inside she searched through a couple of drawers until she found a couple of tickets she kept for situations like this. "Here."

Anna accepted the tickets. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Catherine said warmly. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yes." Anna smiled at her.

"Good."

She watched Anna go. She hoped with all her heart that this was the woman Trowa was looking for. Trowa deserved to be happy…

**\- End chapter 12 -**


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! The final chapter of this story! I know it is not my best work, but I hope you enjoyed it. :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing.

**For the heart I once had  
Chapter 13**

Trowa managed a small smile when Catherine came to pick him up from the spaceport. She seemed more excited than usual to see him and was quick to pull him into a tight hug. “It’s so good to see you!” 

Her warms smile was like a balm on his fatigue. The shuttle flight had been delayed for a couple of hours and sleep had evaded him when the shuttle had finally taken off. He was dead tired and ready to conk out the minute he’d set foot in his old bedroom in her trailer. 

He followed Catherine towards her car, trying to keep his brain functioning enough for him to keep up with her chattering. The first show of the circus on this particular colony had apparently been a huge success and it was looking like this afternoon’s show was going to sell out too.

"Could you do something for me?"

"Hmmm?" Trowa rubbed at his eyes and forced himself to focus on her and the question she had asked.

"Yesterday, this woman came by with her daughter. She is the cutest little girl and she likes the lion. Would you mind introducing him to her after today’s show?"

The question wasn’t so strange. In the past he’d given countless tours to visitors and had often introduced the lion to some of the more fearless children. But now the idea made his stomach twist. 

“I’m not sure if that’s a good idea,” he muttered while getting into the car.

“Please?” Catherine gave him a pleading look. She seemed hellbent on getting him to do this. 

"Sure…" he caved on a sigh.

Catherine smiled brightly. "Thank you."

He shrugged. He didn't care much for entertaining someone else’s child at this moment. God, he wanted to sleep. 

“Stay awake.” Catherine swatted his arm with a laugh. “We’re almost there.” 

“Sorry… I didn’t get any sleep on the flight.” He shifted in his seat and tried to keep his eyes open. 

“How long are you planning to stay?” 

“A couple of weeks,” he said. “I still had enough hours left and I can combine it with working here.” 

“Oh…” She gave him a beaming smile. “It will be nice to have you around again for a while.” 

“Hmm…” He managed a small tilt of his lip.

Catherine turned the car onto the circus grounds and Trowa waited for her to turn off the engine, before exiting the vehicle. 

He followed her to her trailer, glad that the fields were quiet at this time of morning, so that he didn’t have to deal with greetings from the crew. 

“Get some rest okay?” Catherine said as they stepped inside. 

“Yeah…” He turned toward his old bedroom.

“I’ll have some soup ready when you wake up.”

He nearly rolled his eyes and collapsed face forward onto the bed. He was asleep within second. 

He woke up with a pounding headache. The lack of sleep and all the stress of the past months seemed to be catching up on him. He was exhausted. He turned over on his side on the small bed and prepared to sleep some more. Outside he could hear the crew prepare for the afternoon show, and that reminded him of the promise he had made Catherine earlier.

Great…

Why had she asked him to do this? It would be hard to entertain a child. How was he supposed to act friendly when his own child was God knew where and had no idea of his existence? But since he never came back on his promises, he had no choice but to go. He glanced over to the alarm clock on the nightstand. He still had a couple of hours left before the show would end.

He closed his eyes and drifted off again.

Catherine came to wake him a couple of hours later with a soft knock on the door. "Trowa?"

He grunted in reply and struggled to open heavy eyes. 

She smiled at him. "Be ready after the show okay? There’s soup on the stove that you can warm up."

"Hn…" He nodded and stretched lazily beneath the sheets.

"We'll be waiting for you." She turned and left, and he heard her leave the trailer. 

Trowa sat up and sighed. _Well… let’s get this over with._

He got up and grabbed a change of clothes from his duffel, making his way to the small bathroom to take a shower. He felt a bit better afterwards. His headache was gone, but he still dreaded going to the lion's cage after the show.

-x-x-x-

Aalia smiled at the child in her lap. The little girl was playing with her hair, tugging on the long brown locks. Her daughter loved all the excitement of the show, even though she probably didn’t grasp the full concept of it. She was just excited from all the colorful lights and the music, and the reactions of people around her to show. She squealed with excitement when the lion stepped into the ring. 

Given that they were sitting in the front row, they had a good view of everything that happened.

A woman next to her glared at her. "Can't you keep the child quiet?"

Aalia tried not to cringe at her annoyed tone. She recognized this woman. She was one of the women who always gossiped about her in the stores. The woman's cheeks tinted pink with embarrassment when her own child shouted in excitement at the sight of the lion, but she made no move to quiet him.

Of course not. In her eyes it was just Aalia who did everything wrong, raising her daughter on her own.

Aalia turned back to watching the show, but she could still feel the woman's eyes on her. The accusing stare got onto her nerves. She hated the way these women treated her. She couldn't help it that she was a single mother. When she had come to this small colony she had tried to blend in a much as possible. She started to wear the long skirts all women on this colony wore, hoping she wouldn't be the odd one out. It had been useless, but she had done it anyway. None had bothered to talk to her, or hear the story she had been told to tell by the witness protection program agent. But still, stories about her had flowed.

The show ended and Aalia got up. She lifted her little girl up and smiled at her. "Ready to go see the lion again?"

"Can we go too mom?" The boy next to her asked his mother.

Aalia ignored them and left the tent. She slowly made her way along the cages, stopping here and there to let her child watch the animals. When she reached the lion's cage, Catherine was already waiting for her. 

The kind woman was quick to scoop the little girl out of her arms. “There you are again, pretty one!"

Aalia smiled warmly. "You like children, don't you?"

Catherine smiled back and nodded. "I adore them."

The woman who had been mean to her during the show approached the lion's cage. Her son was bouncing up and down, pointing at the lion. Aalia sighed and turned her back to them, hating the prospect of having to spend time with this woman next to her. 

Catherine was busy glancing around, obviously trying to located someone in the midst of the activity on the circus grounds. "I wonder where my brother is."

"I'm here Cathy."

Aalia gasped in shock and whirled around at the sound of the voice she had longed to hear for months…

-x-x-x-

Trowa approached the lion's cage in a slow pace, dragging his feet in an attempt to delay the inevitable . He could see Catherine talking to a woman with long wavy brown hair. She wore the trademark skirt all the women on this small colony wore, and she held herself in a way that made Trowa think she wanted to make herself seem as small as possible. He caught a woman and her son approaching the lion’s cage as well, and saw that the woman was glaring at Catherine’s companion. No wonder she didn’t want to be noticed. Catherine was holding the woman's child in her arms and was glancing around, obviously looking for him.

"I wonder where my brother is," she said to the woman next to her.

"I'm here Cathy," he said.

The woman next to Catherine whirled around, her eyes wide with shock. Trowa stopped dead in his tracks, his heart thudding painfully in his chest. _Aalia…_

No… That couldn’t be, right? But the shocked blue eyes that stared back at him and filled with tears were definitely hers. 

“Trowa…” 

In an instant he was approaching her and crushed her to him, burying his face in her hair to breathe in her scent. She was clutching him in return, sobbing hysterically into his chest, her whole body shaking so hard he thought she might collapse if he let go of her. 

Her hair still carried that wonderful smell, but it was now mixed with the distinct scent of baby powder. 

“Finally…” He pressed kisses against the top of her head, cupped her cheeks to make her look at him. 

Her eyes and cheeks were drenched with her tears, and when she met his gaze, her chin wobbled. “Y-you’re here.” 

“Yes,” he leaned in and rested his forehead against hers, chuckling despite himself. “I’m so glad to see you.” 

“What took you so long?” Her fingers curled in the fabric of his shirt, and she held on desperately, as if she was afraid he was just her imagination and that he would disappear if she let go of him. 

“It’s a long story,” he said. 

She sobbed and buried her face into his shoulder. “I’m so glad to see you!” 

He held her until she had calmed down a little, and then made her look at him again. The brown hair was something he had to get used to, but the color made her skin look enticingly pale and made her eyes appear brighter. 

“I’ve missed you so much,” she whispered. “I…” 

He shut her up with a kiss. She clung to him, pressing into him in that familiar way that made his heart jump in his chest and his blood sing with desire. To feel like this again was almost overwhelming. 

They both had difficulty pulling back from the kiss and Aalia smiled warmly and wiped at her cheeks as she stepped back. “There is someone I’d like you to meet.” 

She reached for the child in Catherine’s arms and turned towards him. “This is Quaterine.” 

Aalia watched the storm of emotions in Trowa’s eyes when he had his first good look at his daughter. Quaterine giggled and held out her arms to him and he was quick to lift her out of Aalia’s arms. Father and daughter regarded each other in wonder, and Aalia’s heart did a somersault in her chest as she watched the magic ensue. Quaterine reached up and touched her little hands to his face, smiling at him with those beautiful green eyes of hers. And to see him react so strongly, to see him realize that he was really holding his daughter for the first time, to see the instantaneous love unfold… it was simply wonderful.

It made her dab at her eyes furiously to keep another flood of tears at bay. “You look so wonderful together.” 

He gave her a little smile that made her heart stutter. “She is beautiful.” 

She nodded and gave him a watery smile. “That she is.” 

“Come here.” He held out his arm.

Aalia slipped under his shoulder and buried her face in his shoulder. 

“Quaterine, huh?” he said. “Quatre will like that.” 

“Is it… safe to come back?” 

“I’ve been searching for you for a year and a half,” he said. “The agent in charge of your case was murdered and he never put your records in the system.” 

“What?” She pulled back to look at him with wide eyes. “So… all this time we’ve been apart…”

“Yeah…” He pressed a kiss against her forehead. “But I’ve found you now, and that’s all that matters. And Razouli will never be able to hurt you again. He is dead.” 

“So… So I can come back?” Oh, the hope was almost too much to handle. She clutched at him with an excited smile. 

He smiled back and nodded. “You’ll be coming back with me.” 

“Oh, Trowa…” She reached up and cupped his cheeks, rising up on her toes to kiss him again. 

Quaterine giggled and tangled her hands in Aalia’s hair, pulling on the brown locks until Aalia was forced to pull back from the kiss with a laugh. 

“I’m so happy now.” 

He chuckled and nuzzled her hair. Everything was alright…

“I think I’m going to open a bottle of champagne,” Catherine said behind them, her voice choked with emotion.

Trowa grinned. “Best idea ever.” 

-x-x-x-

"Daddy!"

Trowa jolted away from his slumber when Aalia lifted Quaterine onto the bed.

"Hey there, beautiful." He struggled to open his eyes as his daughter crawled onto his chest and gave him what felt like a very wet kiss on his cheek. 

Aalia smiled at him and leaned over him to kiss him. "Good morning."

“Hmm…” He tangled his hand in her hair and kept her close. “Now it’s a good morning.” 

Quaterine squealed and put her hand on her mother's cheek and pushed her away from Trowa. Trowa chuckled and cuddled his daughter against his chest. 

"Your mother can kiss me too, you know," he told her.

"No." Quaterine shook her head stubbornly. Approaching two years old, she had developed quite the personality. 

Aalia chuckled and sat down on the edge of the bed. She smoothened her daughters blonde curls. "I guess she thinks I give you too many kisses."

"I'm not complaining," Trowa said yanking her in for another kiss.

Aalia smiled against his lips. "I love you."

"I love you too," he murmured back.

Quaterine sat up on her knees, demanding his attention and she giggled excitedly when he looked at her. 

"And I love you too," he told her.

The little girl clapped her hands together, before snuggling into his chest again. Trowa couldn’t help but chuckle at her antics and wrapped his arms around her. The warmth in his chest was everything.

Aalia couldn't resist touching the curls on her daughter's hair again and the movements of her hand made her engagement ring flash in the sunlight that poured in through the window. Trowa took her hand in his and brought it up to his mouth to kiss her fingers.

He couldn't wait until the day he could finally make her his wife. He let go of her hand and took a lock of her hair between his fingers. The long wavy locks were back to their original color, and although the brown hair had suited her, the blond color made her look more radiant, more his. He smiled at her. He was the happiest man in the world…

**\- End -**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this story! Please leave a comment with your thoughts on it! :)


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